Private IVF VS NHS

[Kcoxy]

Hi i just wanted some advice regarding going private first before NHS.I have been referred by my GP for a NHS fertility referral. My appointment for the NHS consultation is may 9th.

I have started a private ivf cycle on 2nd may.

Where do i stand if my first cycle privately is unsuccessful?

Am I still eligable to continue with my NHS treatment? Where I live it says x1 free cycle.

All the ICB states for Nottingham is previous IVF treatment self funded or private will be taken into acvount when assesing funding criteria.

[Cuppppatea]

If the nhs find out you will be disqualified for treatment funding. Happened to my friend.

[Tnthketnf]

Without knowing for sure "taken into account" sounds like deducted from the entitlement.

[Keggles36]

I think of you've gone private you won't be entitled to NHS. Even if it hasn't worked. We asked as wanted to speed process up and this was what we were told so waited for NHS x

[Onestepatatim3]

Hi it is true the NHS will not fund you if you have started treatment privately. However I also faced a similar situation and had a horrendous experience with the NHS hospital I was initially with. It was actually a blessing to have opted for private. The wait on the NHS is extensive even if they expedite the initial consultation thereafter the wait is many months. I was also told I do not qualify for IVF under the NHS as my tubes were open and I did not have any reason why iui wouldn't work . I was told there is a one size protocol fits all and generally unless your tubes are blocked or you've attempted 6 cycles of iui and haven't been successful then IVF would only be considered after that point. The other thing to make yourself aware of is to find out if the NHS fertility department is being run by training nurses as this was also the case where I was initially and seems to be the case for many other NHS hospitals. This is predominantly why I faced a number of misinformation and numerous errors made right from the start. Other ladies I have spoken to have shared similar experiences of long wait times and a one size protocol fits all approach with the NHS. I decided to switch to private and will be opting for IVF to increase my chances of success. I hope this helps xx

[Clayhugs]

hi. I had a private round before my nhs. They said i was allowed 2 private before nhs. I’m in NI where we’re only entitled to 1 nhs round. Probably different rules depending on where you’re based. My nhs round was much kinder, pleasant and more competent compared to my private. It also resulted in me currently carrying twins. 🤞 for you - hopefully you won’t need the nhs one xo

[Systema23]

hi

I’m in Scotland and considered the same thing. My clinic told me if I opted for NHS first I would not be entitled to NHS IVF in future. Your first cycle can be a let’s see what works/doesn’t cycle so with that in mind you may want to save your cash and opt for NHS for the first round.

I know the waiting can be excruciating but it may be more beneficial to you in the long run x

[MarshmellowMountain]

hello! You should still be entitled to funding. We originally started our NHS referral (consultations and tests etc) in 2021. It took SO long for all the follow up consultations to be booked in due to the covid backlog, we weren’t referred until this week. The NHS hadn’t referred us when they said they did essentially - we were told we’d been given funding in May 2023, but the clinic never received it. Due to frustration, and not being able to speak to anyone at the NHS, we decided to go privately. In December, the NHS contacted me to apologise and started our referral again. I had to complete a new form, which asks have you had IVF - I said I’d had 1 cycle privately, but you're allowed up to 2. We’ve now had 2 rounds privately, and will start our NHS round afterwards, as long as we don’t fall pregnant and have a live birth.

It’s definitely worth going forward with the NHS. Get your tests done. If the time between appointments are too long, consider starting private. But you should still be eligible for funding, as the referral form does say you can have up to 2 rounds.

[Eloquentia]

Hi! We had one NHS funded round and it was a very positive experience. Our clinic does both NHS and privately funded rounds. Definitions of 'one' round may vary, so it is worth reading the small print. For where we like (East Anglia), one round means one round of stimulations plus up to three rounds for all resulting embryos. So we had our stimulations covered plus two frozen embryo transfers. The second one worked and we have one more attempt that will be funded by the NHS. It did save us a lot of money. I hope this helps.

[Kcoxy]

Thank you all for sharing your experiences. Its a minefield with the wording. It leaves it so ambiguous!