Support from your PCT? (UK) for fertility treatment

Polls
1

Following on form my first poll - in a nutshell (its a long story)…

We have been told that we do not meet the criteria within our PCT area for funded IVF as having an ectopic is classed as being able to conceive, therefore, unless we try unsuccessfully for the next two years (I will be 40 then and too old for funding!) OR I suffer another ectopic and have my remaining tube taken away, there is no way we will ever receive any funding. So we will give ourselves 6 months of ttc naturally to see what happens and then look to pay for our own IVF.

I am interested to understand whether any of you have faced this situation - and also how many people have received support/funding for fertility treatment following ectopics as i feel that there is no recognition/support whatsoever for my area. (unless you have both tubes taken away…)

Do any of you feel like this? i thought IVF was originally designed for people like us who had problems with Ectopics and IVF put the egg in the right place, (I know its a bit more complex than that). But it seems that it is only automatically funded for people who miscarry or cannot conceive at all.

There seems to be no mechanism to provide any fertility support for people who have maybe been trying for a number of years and suffered traumatic ectopics on a number of occasions (that affect work, life, everything), I am 38 in May 2010…been trying since 2006, 3 ectopics now but one patent right side tube remains…even so,…so i feel like there is no hope for us as we are left each time with just a pat on te back for conceiving in the first place and told ‘its just bad luck, nothing they can do and to just start trying again…’ I swear i will loose my mind next time (IF there is a next time) my GP has now (reluctantly) written a letter to our PCT to ask for funding but doesn’t seem hopeful as, once again, we are told we can conceive so we don’t fulfil the criteria?.

Interested firstly to see if any of you have automatically got help and what was said at the time, and also, how many of you are in the similar situation to us? should we start to help campaign?

I think I have covered everything in my poll, please add comments if you cannot indicate on poll but still would like to contribute.

Thanks in advance xxx

Have you received funding for IVF or similar fertility treatment?
  • Yes, Due to my age
  • Yes, due to having one ectopic and have one remaining patent tube
  • Yes, after suffering 2 or more ectopics and having one remaining patent tube
  • Yes, after ttc for 6 months after an ectopic and at least one remaining tube
  • Yes, after hospital removed both tubes due to ectopics/damage after a number of ectopics
  • Other, please state.
0 voters
2

PS - forgot to add - ‘no’ - as an option! or an ‘in process of applying as don’t automatically qualify’ if it can be added ?? sorry!

3

Leah,

I’ve had 5 miscarriages, 2 ectopics - one with tube removed and we’ve been trying for almost five years. I’m 36 this month.

Frankly, I have no idea what my PCT criteria is - they don’t say ANYWHERE on their web site so I have no idea why we were accepted.

My GP had no idea either, but he is lovely and wrote a letter for me to the PCT to get me funding, laying my situation on pretty thickly.

It only took a few months from acceptance to starting and I’m now DR’ing.

I don’t know what route you’ve taken to get funding, but you can always appeal to the PCT, go direct and wave NICE guidlines at them.

Wishing yoiu all the best wih natural TTC and trying to get some help elsewhere,

Fin x

4

Thanks Fin,

I asked GP and she has written to PCT on grounds of ‘Exceptional Funding’ as we don’t fit the standard criteria (second attempt as first GP actually told us to ‘go away’, I could easily put a complaint in as she really upset us both but I really dont want to waste my enery on her).

GOOD NEWS! (well, I think it is!!|), the BCRM said they are happy we meet criteria based on classing 3 Ectopics as having ‘Fertility issues’ since 2006. And now the funding request is with the PCT (a panel need to agree it apparently and we have 4 weeks to write to them to provide as much detail towards our case as we can).

So, has anyone else been though this? and had to be considered by a panel? any tips on what to say? also, Fin, where can I get the MICE guidelines (you will have to hint I suppose as not allowed to post links? or is that ok?

Thanks!

Leah x