NHS funded IVF

[day_dreamer]

Hiiiii,

Just wondering how everyone has found the NHS funding situation...for fertility treatment.

I contacted my local fertility centre regarding treatment for lesbian couples, to be told:

"Initially treatment for same sex couples is not funded on the NHS and normally couples would have to have 6 self funded cycles of donor Insemination. If these were unsuccessful then you would be funded for 1 NHS IVF cycle as this would prove there is infertility. PCOS does not prove infertility so you would need to complete the 6 self funded cycles first."

Our friends in another part of the country have found it really straightforward though, their GP referred them straight to the fertility centre and they get 2 funded IVF cycles.

Has anyone else explored IVF as an option? I'm interested what the situation is elsewhere...

 

[blinkey]

Hi, My partner and I are starting to think about starting a family and we have looked everywhere for advice and in the UK it isn't as straight forward as you think we initially looked around in the internet for advice and maybe finding a clinic (we both want to be legal parents without the adoption carry on and expense). this only brought up the Londons womens clinic but even though the results seem to be great it was just too far out of out price range. We then approached our GP who seemed really positive (tho had never refered anyone from our area) and refered us to Newcastle centre for life. We waited a few months for the appointment and when we got the letter they wanted about £160 for an initial consultation just to talk through our options. we ended up not going to the appointment and we will probably end up waiting until after our civil partnership and trying at home. Have you had any luck with NHS?

 

[day_dreamer]

No luck. My friends have though, 3 goes totally funded up in Manchester. The postcode lottery sucks!!

 

[Rainbow82]

We are in same position, our pct has never funded ivf for a lesbian couple although official policy is they will refer after 6 self funded iui treatments (costing xboyt the same as 2.5 ivf rounds!) we are doing AI at home instead.

 

[day_dreamer]

Yes I'd have to self fund 6 IUIs too. Expensive!