On Friday 1st May the HFEA updated their advice and have told us that from Monday 11th May we can apply to re-open.
To apply to re-open we have to put together a safety strategy that provides the HFEA with evidence to show that we can operate safely, and provide fertility treatments while keeping our patients and our staff safe. We can send our strategy to the HFEA on or after Monday 11th May but we then need to wait and hear back from the HFEA to confirm we can re-open before we can start any treatments.
Our strategy will include how many fertility treatments we can perform at one time, while keeping with social distancing measures. This may mean that the number of patients we treat at one time may be limited to keep you safe.
Please be aware that we have a list of patients on a ‘holding list’ that sadly had to have their treatments cancelled when we stopped performing fertility treatments in March 2020. We will want to consider some or all of these patients as a priority to be treated first. We also need to consider those patients of advanced maternal age and if they may also need to take priority.
Please bear with us while we put our strategy together and while we wait for the HFEA to confirm that we can re-open. We appreciate that although this is fantastic news, the wait for your treatment has been difficult and a further wait may become frustrating.
If we had to postpone your treatment due to our closure, we will contact you directly when we are able to start your treatment safely.
Thanks. My private clinic had a different response. They have already submitted their application to the HFEA and said they expect their decision by the end of this week. They are booking is treatment consultations via zoom currently. Whatever the clinics say, it’s still waiting waiting waiting! X
Yes there is this one clinic im looking at and although i cant afford it they say they are opening in the week of 11th. So they seem to be way ahead 😢 x
Basically have had the same message from my clinic as a general message on Facebook (haven't heard back from them individually yet). It's disappointing when the clinic knows how difficult this is for all their patients and they could have been getting themselves in place to open as soon as possible. They could be putting patients on treatment plans already ready for opening.... I don't know, I'm just someone that would always do things in advance and have everything ready in place. I feel like they could also be contacting everyone for expectation management as well..... and to make us feel liked valued patients! x
I totally agree , I asked the clinic if they were doing this so that people could start asap and to minimize further waiting - i think being informed is so important - i felt better yesterday after i called the clinic and they answered some concerns - I was finding feeling 100% out of control extremely difficult ( am single too) - I had to email /ring several times and make it clear that I wasn't coping well and did feel some reassurance . There will inevitable be waiting for everyone and clinics doing things in slightly different ways I guess x
My clinic has had the phone turned off for weeks (not sure why the receptionist can't answer that from home?), and although they're still open and doing consultations etc. it does take them some time to get back to emails (understandable). They're also still advertising for new clients with virtual consultations etc. which seems a bit nuts when there's going to be a massive backlog! There will be waiting for everyone, of course, but I agree being informed would really help.
Hi - yes the same , I had to email / ring quite a lot and I think people need to be informed and included - the very nature of infertility and IVF is already about being out of control and waiting often for many many years. Yes I guess virtual consulations keep things going financially and for the future. I broke down on the phone and simply wasn't coping well after over 20 years of this and no family support and i am grateful they listened and responded . They also offered free counselling which i have had every 2 weeks on the phone and very grateful for that . x
I am learning to say that I am not coping , in a way that is a good start , rather than saying i am fine. We are all warriers on this path, the situation with cancellations is unprecedented and folk who do not have fertility issues I have found really have little concept of what we go through and continue to go through , so I think we do bloody well to keep going tbh. The counsellor for me has been hugely helpful, 20 yrs experience and v grateful for that x
I feel you. And we should say that mire often if we feel down. To be honest i was thinking that last few days. Some colleagues were hinting at oh people that work from home they have it so easy. And i was thinking yes very easy it is being by yourself and thinking of infertility 24/7. At least at work u can be distracted sometimes. But these conversations do give me strength. We will get through this ❤️
I cant reach my clinic this was on the website of their partner where the transfers are done. Im sure private clinics are way ahead. Its very hard that we cant be treated all with the same care and quality especially when private clinics do nhs patients. The clinic has its email and phone both switched off but is ‘open’ on their website. Still i think i hope its another 2 or 3 periods away and hope it just starts treating people as we are not treated in one room anyway and they can do tht many procedures a day anyway. Im frustrated and hope you all have a better day
The clinic i am at is private but within NHS hosp and treats NHS patients . They have had skeleton staff so if i have persisited they have answered but i guess i am prob confused about any potential difference in NHS / Private or atleast not understanding the system which is complex i guess, there should not be a difference of course. I really feel it is not acceptable for people not to have any info given / for phones to be off , because of the massive distress this causes , ontop of infertility issues which are already hugely distressing. This is the first time the HFEA has stopped treatments in its history and i understand is unprecedented and never happened b4. I am sorry that there are no east answers for any of us - i continue to be persisitant and assertive , some days have been utterly shit i have to say . Yes over the weeks / next month or 2 i think things will ease and get moving , but for now it is not easy for any of us ( understatement ) . xx
Hi - yes it is difficult all round. I had DD treatment cancelled. I have rung / emailed clinic through out closure as they have been partly open . They said they are applying to HFEA at the moment and HFEA hope to turn around applications quickly . They said they hope to have extended opening hours , do as much as poss remotely etc. It will be waiting for everyone but I think it is fine to ask them questions. For example I wanted to know if the donor who was cancelled was willing to resume as if not i would need to go through the donor process again which takes time . The clinic said contact us, ask questions etc and I hope understand that having no information is extremely difficult and stressful in this unprecedented situation xx
I got a reply from my clinic aswell(Nhs Funded) . I was told that treatment will start in June and a nurse will contact me.
I was meant to start treatment(long protocol) on the 10th of April, I got a call on the 1st not to commence treatment.
Atleast I got a response for now and feel a little better knowing June is not far away.😁
This was also mentioned on their response to me.
Please be aware that if you have been exposed to someone who has or may be affected by the virus, we may need to stop your treatment before the embryo transfer.
Mine didn't even contact me when treatments were stopped as I was already on a waiting list for round 2. When I chased them they emailed me a standard statement that answered none of my questions. Eventually after a lot of calls and many tears I got through to a nurse who explained what the situation was. This does not fill me with hope for them getting in touch to let me know about re-opening. I know it's routine for them and they have a lot on but they should appreciate this our lives. Hope you are all coping and we get good news soon. Xx
Aww Daisy i know exactly what you feel. Same here never had contact i mentioned they have their email and phone switched off. This was from their website days after the re opening announcement x i hope it wont take long and they will treat everyone equally because all of us want to go first but there is gonna be some more waiting im afraid 😭
If it's one thing we have to learn through this process it's patience. Easier said than done but guess we have to be prepared that it won't happen immediately. There are no guarantees about anything at the moment. I'm just clinging to whatever crumbs of hope I can and trying not to get too depressed. Xx
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