ivf waiting lists!

[rchurchlow]

Hi,
My husband and I have been TTC for 2 yrs and we are in Germany as he is with the British Army and we are posted here. Have gone through all of the tests, scans, lap and dye injection with ovarian drilling and adhesion removal from fallopian tubes but the next step for us is IVF. We are told we cannot have it in Germany and will have to go onto the NHS list for the UK, as they use a specific hospital in London. Does anyone know waiting list times, I am very stressed as we are trying to do all of this in between army training and 7 month deployments to afghan!
thanks all xxx

 

[annmc30]

dont know about the waiting list there but im starting ivf 6th march at the centre of life in newcastle there no waiting list there u just get it when u need it

 

[DillyC]

If you are having to go to a specific hospital it would be worth finding out which one it is as each hospital has different waiting times, I am at Queen Marys in Roehampton ( part of Kingston Hospital ) and there is a 10 month waiting list...

So much harder for you as you have to fit this into such a tight schedule..

There is another person having treatment in Germany ( think she is there as her partner is in the military?) She wrote on a previous post of mine in this section titled: Anyone considered having IVF abroad. She may be able to help you??

Good luck...hope the wait is not too long x

 

[rachelle1975]

Hey hun, it all varies from hospital to hospital but also depending on which PCT you fall under.

As Dilly said above - she is Kingston PCT with a 10 month wait - i'm also as the same clinic and was told 12 months but i don't start treatment until next month and it will be 14 months by then?? At the same clinic if you fall under Surrey PCT it's treatment within 6 months?

Your best bet is to find out the name of the clinic and review it on the HFEA website and contact them - they should be able to give you further information.

Good luck

 

[edwards]

rchurchlow

Hi. We're in bfg-jhq & ttc too. Are you going private? We aren't eligible to go on the NHS so our GP here provided a contact for ivf clinic in Holland.

I'm not sure if you're having probs with the system but I found this article which you might find useful. As for wait list, if you qualify for the NHS pgm and based in bfg, it can be as short as a month (i heard)..something about postcode lottery? But don't quote me & get your hopes high.

Keep well & good luck x



Mr Adam Ingram (Minister of State (Armed Forces), Ministry of Defence; East Kilbride, Labour)

holding answer 5 April 2005
A number of options are available to service personnel and their dependants requiring IVF treatment while posted to Germany:

Although the British Forces Germany Health Service (BFG HS) is not funded for the provision of full IVF and equivalent treatment, it does fund the investigation of infertility and the provision of drug treatments following IVF. This takes place in our primary care facilities or our regional contracted German hospitals. It will also fund correction of any anatomical abnormality that may be causing infertility. In addition Artificial Insemination by Husband (AIH) is available at one of our contracted German hospitals.

A patient can seek private treatment in Germany bearing the full cost themselves. In unusual cases presenting strong medical/social reasons for IVF treatment, BFG HS may pay for treatment.

If a patient has embarked on investigation or treatment in the UK on a NHS programme and is then posted to Germany, they receive full administrative support, including the provision of transport by air trooper. The MOD also takes a sympathetic view with regard to the posting of personnel while they are undertaking a course of treatment in the UK by deferring the posting if it is the individual's wish and if it is possible to do so.

For patients wishing to return to the UK to begin treatment for IVF, the BFG HS makes use of the excellent facilities offered by a charity based service which is provided at Hammersmith Hospital in London at no cost to the patient or the MOD. In these cases BFG HS authorises transport by air trooper. In other instances where personnel wish to be posted back to the UK and this is supported by their posting authority, they can be referred to their local Primary Care Trust (PCT) in the UK for the duration of the treatment.

The Department is currently re-formulating its policy on IVF treatment to ensure it is consistent with the standards contained in the current National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines.

 

[littleblonde]

I was on the waiting list for ivf in wales. waiting list was 12 weeks to be seen then 12 months for ivf.

 

[rosierose]

Hi Im in India by myself my mans had to go back to Spain to work.Im at a great clinic and no waiting lists and affordable we used ivfplanet.Have a look.The BBC have also been here filming a documentary x

 

[Sultan]

Hi

How did you get on with your referal in the BFG system? I am very interested to know your experiences.

We are currently in a similar situation and have just started attending a private clinic here in Germany as London isn't an option for us due to army work commitments.

Our main problem is that in a few months time we are being posted from Germany to another foreign country and we are worried that if our treatment here is unsuccessful in the short time we have, will the army would provide funding and a referal on our next posting? At the moment we are paying for the treatment, however if we move again it seems unfair to lose all our money that we have invested in this as we will have to start again from the beginning.

We have been declined a temporary UK posting while we undergo treatment and like yourself my hubby is also going to Afghanistan (for how long that will be I don't know). There seems to be quite a grey area in terms of Welfare, Support & Funding in the army for this and I am not sure where to start. There is a huge worry that by the time we do get posted back to the UK, my condition would have worsened and there is every potential that it will then be too late. The thought of this is upsetting and stressful as we have been told that we have a better chance of having a child if we start treatment now. I'd be happy to continue to pay for private treatment in Germany, but it is a complete waste of our money if they move us, as we will have to start all over again.

If we weren't in the army we'd at least have some continuity in terms of routine, doctors, hospitals and location, we would also be able to plan things much more easily. Our situation is having a huge affect on us both emotionally and financially. We don't even know where or what we will be doing in the future and therefore unable to realistically plan for our treatment.

Does the British Army have any policies for army families undergoing fertility treatment (not just IVF)? If anyone knows, please send me a message.

 

[rchurchlow]

thanks everyone for all of your comments. We have just today had another laparoscopy and hysteroscopy and have been told both tubes are closed on both sides and there is nothing they can do apart from IVF.

Sultan, there is a SOBA(G) stating that they have to give you time off and cannot refuse you if you have to go back to the uk but it also states that they cannot guarantee that it will not have an effect on your husbands career...nice of them!!! You can have treatment at Bielefeld hospital free of charge but as the BFG HS have to pay for this they will only do it under extreme medical or social reasons, so basically it is Hammersmith or nothing. I have an appt at the med centre next Friday to get on the waiting list for UK on the off chance that it will fit in with our schedule but at the moment we are swaying towards self funding at Bielefeld due to time constraints and husbands job etc. So nice to know that our husbands pay all of that tax and NI every month and base us over here in Germany but do not give us the services we would recieve if we were in the UK...rant over lol.

At the moment it is so emotionally stressful knowing that we cannot do it alone...not even a tiny chance and we never know what changes will be made to deployments etc so it is so hard to plan. It is also harder because I keep thinking with my heart and not my head but know we also need to look at his future career.

Sultan, where abouts are you based??? If you ever wanna keep in contact by email or phone or meet up to have someone to chat to who is going through the same as you then feel free to let me know or to message me your email address.

Positive thoughts to all out there TTC, it will be worth it in the end xxx

 

[rchurchlow]

Just thought that I would let you all know that we would only usually have to wait 4 to 5 weeks for an appt at Hammersmith and then IVF treatment would usually begin approx 2 months after that due to us being in the Army and based in Germany. Unfortunately, due to my husband going to Canada mid July to mid Nov they will not give us our consultation as we would then be eligible for the treatment whilst he was away. We noe have to wait until end of nov or beginning of dec for our consultation and we will hopefully then have the IVF in Feb 2011 which fits in before he then goes on tour to Afghan in the summer. Feeling positive and positive thoughts to everyone out there x

 

[85nikky]

rchurlow ....
iam in the same situation as urs wer in rite now ... would be great if me n u can get in contact as u might could help me with a lot of questions ... i tryed ta pm u .. but they didnt let me hun, so i hope u can pm u storie abot havin an ivf done n how it works in the bfg hc .... wit do they pay ect ... thanks so far .... xxxx

 

[Anni0582]

HIya, is there anyone here who has had IVF treatment in Hammersmith? We are in BFG and just had out consultation app. through for next month and i was wondering if someone could maybe tell me what to expect and how long everything takes apromimatly.


Thank u
ax

 

[Anni0582]

Is there anyone still here from this threat? We are just starting and a friend of mine is in the middle of treatment as well and just been told that we re not elligable for traveling costs from the army. As the IVF is by choice. Has anyone got exsperience with this?

Thanks Ann