IVF treatment resuming abroad??

Hi ladies,

Its wonderful news that clinics in the UK are resuming treatment and that it's pit a spotlight on the anguish it has been causing us that have had treatments cancelled or put on hold.

I'm really trying to raise the profile of us ladies/couples that are having treatment abroad, I know its a lot more complicated but when I watch the news around aviation and flights resuming its all about people wanting to go on holiday and I feel like we have been forgotten. I have wrote to my local MP who said they will raise my concerns with Ministers in Health and Social Care, I've emailed through the gov.uk website, tried to send an email to Matt Hancock and also emailed news channels to see if they can raise the issue. I understand safety is the main priority but they need to look at how treatment,travel can resume to a new normal with measures in place.

I think it would be great if we could all stand together to raise this issue or if anyone has any ideas??? I/we need to have some hope xx

[jolo146]

Hi, this is a great point, I was pleased about the news of uk clinics but I am also in the same boat about clinics abroad. I have embryos waiting for me in a clinic in spain and I'm desperate to fly back over there as soon as I can to get my transfer. I haven't heard anything from my clinic and am just hoping that once opened a flight will be available for me to get over there. We are always being told about time, and very hard when you can't speak to anyone about it at this strange time!

[Hidden in reply to jolo146]

I have embryos in spain too. If flights are not an option then I was wondering about having them flown over here?

[Cinderella5 in reply to Hidden]

I thought about this too but I dont think we have any clinics in Scotland that are approved for this.😕xx

[Hidden in reply to Cinderella5]

Oh no. I hadn't looked into it but would GCRM not do it? They are affiliated with at least one clinic in spain.

[Cinderella5 in reply to Hidden]

It only seems to be their Belfast clinic that is approved for it for some reason!!🤷🏼‍♀️xx

[Hidden in reply to Cinderella5]

Oh darn. Well that is that out of the window then. At least we can get ot Belfast on a ferry, or drive I suppose x

[Cinderella5 in reply to Hidden]

I could be reading wrong and it is worth asking the question. I have it in my head for some reason that there is an issue about not being allowed to have anonymous egg donor embryo allowed too but I cant remember where I have gotten that from!🤔xx

[Hidden in reply to Cinderella5]

That is a good point, I've got to email my clinic end of next week so will ask them the question also xx

[Cinderella5 in reply to Hidden]

I'm sure I've read that because anonymous donation is against the UK law that we cant used our DE embryos over here. I've emailed the clinic in Scotland to ask.xxx

[jolo146 in reply to Hidden]

Oh didn't know this was possible...how do you find out? There is a clinic in London of the same brand as the Spain clinic which I goto for scans...

[Hidden in reply to jolo146]

I would get in touch with them and find out. It may be worth a try.

[Cinderella5 in reply to Hidden]

I'm gonna ask the GCRM and see what they say...will report back.xx

[Hidden in reply to Cinderella5]

Great, thank you. Have to have all the scans etc done with them anyway

[Cinderella5 in reply to Hidden]

So Ive heard back and they have basically said they cant give a straight yes or no answer. "The HFEA places restrictions on what we can/can't import and without doing particular investigations for your clinic, I cant confirm one way or another. The clinic would have to satisfy particular regulatory requirements, as well as the information about the egg donor and screening of both gamete donors being in line with the UK requirements". xx

[Hidden in reply to Cinderella5]

I thought that might be behind the reason that Dublin offer it. Not knowing the source donor will be the main blocker. So, a drive to dublin it would have to be - should it come to it. Thanks for checking xx

[Cinderella5 in reply to Hidden]

Im not sure if the clinic could provide info on donor - as in clinic to clinic but not tell us or if they wouldnt be prepared to do this?! I would imagine its the same in Ireland too that the donor would need to be identified?!xx

[Hidden in reply to Cinderella5]

I wasn't sure if that was maybe the reason why they seem to be able to offer it whereas it isn't so prevalent in the uk.

[Cinderella5 in reply to Hidden]

I dont think so, I think it was just one of the listed clinics on the HFEA website that is certified to do importation....its was Belfast btw. I think the anonymous donor thing is going to be the main issue. In the UK as you know, donors have to be known and abroad its anonymous so I think it would be a legal issue for the clinic abroad to release ID and a legal issue that the UK clinic couldnt accept the embryos without it!xx

[Hidden in reply to Cinderella5]

That's what I was thinking. Ok, a long walk to spain then!

[Cinderella5 in reply to Hidden]

Mine will be longer to Athens!!🤣🤣xx

[Hidden in reply to Cinderella5]

Totally. Although I heard that Greece are hoping to open for holidays in the summer. So it may be that Greece isn't that bad an option after all x

[Cinderella5 in reply to Hidden]

Yes I read that too but it's very dependent on if their numbers stay low with them relaxing lockdown and whether they'll allow us back in anytime soon. We're on the banned list along with Italy & Spain for now. There's talk of quarantine too both ends after travelling so who knows!🤷🏼‍♀️🤪🤯 Will just have to wait and see!xx

[Hidden in reply to Cinderella5]

Oooh, I kind of like the idea of lockdown either end - as long as it is in a lovely place and with amazing food and sunshine x

[Cinderella5 in reply to Hidden]

🤣 Well when you put it like that....not sure my work would though!😂xxx

[Hidden in reply to Cinderella5]

Lol. Well, one step at a time x

[Hidden in reply to Cinderella5]

I can just see myself begging my boss to have the time off! Where do you even stay when you are in quarantine?? Xxx

[Cinderella5 in reply to Hidden]

I presume you have to go to your apartment and and self isolate before you can even contemplate going to the clinic. Our government were speaking about wanting us to self isolate after flying too so that's a long time off work!😵xxx

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

I was telling Cinderella that I had been emailing Ministers at the weekend and Dominic Raab's Senior Case Worker came back to me to say the Government are doing all they can to get thing's back to normal as soon as possible and that he would discuss my email with Dominic when he sees him later on this week xx

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Great. Thanks Claire x

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

I asked my clinic about flying over my embryo but my Consultant has told me to wait and see what happens as situation is changing daily. I had a panic because had read the Czech President wants to keep border closed for a year but my Consultant said that has been denied xx

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

It's such a weird time at the moment. X

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Hi Camillage, how are you? Are you looking to start trying for baby number 2? Xx

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Good thanks. We still have some embryos on ice and, whilst at first we thought anyone who has been through all this and even anyone who has a child and even thought about another was obviously mental, we would like to try. We shall see. I turn 44 in November so ideally it would be before then. X

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

I really don't blame you if you still have embryos there, hopefully you will be able to travel before Nov. Keep us updated xx

[Hidden in reply to jolo146]

I think it's the unknown that is the hardest part. Ryanair are saying they won't resume flights if they have to keep the middle seat free but I'm sure they said they are hoping to resume in July but I suppose time will tell x

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

I hope that they will, although the flights may cost more?

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

I really wouldn't mind paying the extra,I'm just desperate to get there! X

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Morning, did you speak to your clinic? I've booked for 24th Sept, have booked my flights and accommodation,clinic have said they will give patients a document stating that we are traveling for medical treatment, I just hope the borders will be open by then xx

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Not yet. I am currently on cycle day 74 - definitely not pregnant as I have tested. But I need to find out what is going on there before I can do anything. I wasn't planning to go out until October anyway. We shall see. That's great news you are booked in. Fingers crossed xxx

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Thanks hun. That is a long time,have your periods been normal up until now? Xxx

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

The last two were 52 and then 47 days. So I thought I was coming back to normal following the breast feeding. I guess I need to ask the gp x

[Gtaylor9681 in reply to Hidden]

Hi, can I ask where you are going for treatment as we are going to Cyprus and at the moment Brits are banned and really want to find a way as we were meant to go in April and then this all happened so we are waiting to rebook but I have no idea when they will let us 😩😭

[Hidden in reply to Gtaylor9681]

Hi, I go to Czech Republic,they haven't opened their borders yet either but my clinic thinks end of Sept should be ok. I'm more worried about getting a flight, I have been able to book a Ryanair flight but I was the only one booked on so far, the flights are usually full of people visiting home and business which should be allowed, I just wanted to get booked on before the mad rush to get booked in xx

[Afrohair]

It is classed as health tourism so comes under the same category Dosent it ?

[Hidden in reply to Afrohair]

You could be right, do you know if there have been any updates on this?

[Afrohair in reply to Hidden]

I’ve only heard that some flights may be resuming but some like Ryanair aren’t ready to fly with a seat gap but I can’t see them staying on the ground making money so a lot of airlines may change their mind apparently air fares will increase and their will be less routes coming into force the big companies have already started laying off staff .i think the issue is most people don’t want to fly as they are worried about confined spaces

[Hidden in reply to Afrohair]

I am worried about them cutting the I think its medical tourism rather than health,but don't think it makes a difference to when we will be allowed to travel.We travel to Brno and I think it's only Ryanair that fly there,although it's a popular flight,they tend to fly daily and its always been full no matter what time of the year we have flown there. We are going to go as soon as we are able.

Are you having treatment in the UK or abroad?

[Afrohair in reply to Hidden]

I’m not on any fertility treatment at the minute I have endometriosis and need an op to see if it helps my fertility, but I’ve just been following the news and I used to work in the travel industry i studied travel and tourism and they class it as health tourism like you said whatever your travel is for the same rules apply they are just trying to do less routes increase airfare and temperature checks but they are worried people don’t want to fly now so that’s why they are doing this xx

[Hidden in reply to Afrohair]

Do you have any idea when you will be able to have your op?

I've looked at Czech Republic this morn and their President has said he wants to keep the border closed for a year, really not what I wanted to read xx

[Southwestcat]

hi - very difficult though my treatment was in the UK - I had thought that the European fertility board had given the green light b4 the UK to restart treatments or at least for clinics to apply to do so ? I had thought that there were still a very reduced number of flights atm to some destinations though i might be wrong. With the UK clinic I had to keep contacting and chasing up and asking questions, though often no answer / no reply to emails - i really hope that ALL the clinics resume asap in safe ways as this is time critical and extremely stressful to be going though and happy to support if anyone has ideas about raising the issue xx

[Hidden]

Hi southwestcat, clinics are starting to resume treatment in Europe, I know mine in the Czech Republic are planning to reopen in June,the problem is the borders to European countries are closed and flights are grounded so even if clinics reopen we can't get there. The UK ones seem to be reopening now they probably have a lot of queries at the moment and struggling with a back log but I really hope you will hear something soon. I'm just going to try and keep emailing people until I get any acknowledgement but I'm sure theres a lot going on in the background that we aren't aware of xx

[Gtaylor9681]

Totally agree, I wrote and email to the government and also to the Cyprus government as we are meant to be going there but have had nothing back. Surely it’s exceptional circumstances and should be looked into differently to a holiday, I am with you if anyone has any ideas xx

[Hidden in reply to Gtaylor9681]

I wrote to the British Embassy in the Czech Republic and they said I just need to keep checking the foreign office advice,I know the travel industry are really desperate to get up and running again, I think Greece have said from July and Italy are keen to let us back in so hopefully if that's successful the others will follow suit. It's really anxious times isn't it, I just needed to get a date booked in for my own head! Will this be your first cycle? Xx

[Gtaylor9681 in reply to Hidden]

My co-ordinator at the clinic in Cyprus said they are waiting for news from the government but I read brits are banned at the moment so god knows when we will be able to. We went last year in November but sadly it didn’t work so were so looking forward to going and it felt like forever and then finally we get to march and this all happened. I hope all goes well for you 🤞🏻Xx

[Hidden]

I had a response from Andy Street Birmingham Mayor, really nice email and he said be wanted to reassure me the government are doing everything they can and he'd been speaking with the CEO to see how they could get flights up and running from Birm (I fly from Stanstead although live in the Midlands) and Dominic Raabs senior case worker responded to say he would pass on my concerns to Dominic Raab and they were doing everything they could xx