Hi ladies, I was having my CD12 scan a few days ago and noticed a chart on the wall setting out the private & NHS waiting list times at the RFC, which I thought might be useful to post here for any other NI girlies....

NHS WAITING LIST

Eastern Health Board: IVF 10-13 months ICSI 10-13 months
Northern Health Board: IVF 12-15 months ICSI 10-13 months
Southern Health Board: IVF 19-21 months ICSI 19-22 months
Western Health Board: IVF 4-7 months ICSI 11-14 months

PRIVATE WAITING LIST

Dr Boyle: IVF 24-25 months ICSI 16-17months
Dr McFaul: IVF 14-15 months ICSI 14-15 months
Dr Traub: IVF 16-17 months ICSI 20-21 months
Dr McManus: IVF 10-11 months ICSI 9-10 months
Prof. McClure: IVF 15-16 months ICSI 9-10 months

Hope someone finds this helpful!

Steph x

Thanx Steph, never noticed this. Hope I don't have to go down the IVF route with a waiting list like that!

Well after I posted this I read on another site that it might all become irrelevant next month, something to do with the trusts merging and creating one combined waiting list, but I'm not sure how true that is, or what effect it will have on the waiting lists.

Mrs R, do you mind me asking what stage of treatment you are at? I'm quite new and trying to catch up with where everyone is at!

Btw, where abouts in NI are you?

Steph x

Hi Steph

Thanks for that info. I have emailed the RFC to find out how much longer we'll have to wait, but so far the feckers haven't got back to me. I did get a letter a few weeks ago, to say that due to staff shortages, and extra funding from the NI Assembly, the self-funded waiting list has come to a standstill and they are concentrating on the NHS slots. My acupuncturist told me last week that they have the nurses, they have the specialists, but they don't have enough embryologists - hmmm - kind of an important link in the chain don't you think??? I'm going to try and sit down this weekend and write a letter to my MP - don't think it'll do much good, but it'll make me feel better.

I hate the Royal, and just hope that I don't have to worry about going there. It's so impersonal, and it's ridiculous that you have to walk through the maternity waiting room to get to the infertility centre... Talk about kicking you when you're down...

Did you have your preliminary tests done at the Royal or did you go to Dundonald? I live in East Antrim, but decided to go to Dundonald for tests, as it's a much nicer hospital than Antrim or the Royal - it's also where i hope to go for delivery (fingers crossed, at the end of this year).

I see from your sig that you're on tamoxifen - isn't that the cancer drug?

Hi Maz, I know what you mean about the Royal, I hate it too! I wrote to my consultant in Nov with a few queries cos there is more chance of a direct line to God than talking to him on the phone, but am still awaiting a reply....

It is fecking annoying having to walk into the maternity hospital, I feel like everyone is looking at me like 'she hasn't got a bump, what the hell is she doing here'. And it makes me so mad having to walk through all the girls smoking outside with their big bumps

My treatment so far has been a bit odd! My GP referred us there and we had our first apt with the FS in Sept, he ordered a load of blood tests for me which I had done at my GPs and a more in depth SA for DF, but I was then told it would be 9 months before we could see him again! So I spoke to GP who gave me clomid and arranged for me to go for monitoring scans at RFU. Registrar at RFU changed me onto tamoxifen my womb lining was too thin on clomid. You're right Maz, Tamoxifen is usually used to treat breast cancer, but it is also starting to be used as a fertility drug, basically the same as clomid except it helps thicken the womb lining too. It's worked for me in that i have ovulated both months, last month was a so just waiting to see this month.

But most of the Dr's at the RFU are so horrible, it first month i went for my scan, the dr made me going on about how "bloody ridiculous" it was that my GP had prescribed my clomid, but she did it with the authorisation of the RFU!

Anyway, rant over, that post was alot longer than intended!

What are the staff like at origin? how's the injecting going so far?



Steph x

The Royal really sucks ... I saw Dr McSmellyOne - god he stunk - talk about BO - yuck!! If you saw the same consultant as me - small weedy character, he took me off clomid after I'd been on it two months - I ovulate myself so shouldn't have been on it anyway, but he is a bit of a gobshite!!

The staff in Origin are fantastic - nothing is ever too much hassle. They are really nice, understanding, and easy to get hold of. They have an emergency out of hours mobile number that is answered by one of the nursing staff for when you're going through treatment. And get this, they have tea and coffee in the waiting room - which is great at any time other than when you're going for egg collection and aren't allowed to eat or drink anything...

Origin is about £1000 more per cycle than the self-funded cycles at the Royal - and my honest opinion is that it is money well spent ...

sounds like you are describing my consultant to a t!! I really don't understand why these people choose the roles they are in when they lack even the most basic of inter-personal skills!

Have you seen the most recent HFEA report on the RFU? Quite damning, doesn't exactly inspire you with confidence, but then again I can't say I was surprised. Although I should say, the Registrar I see every month is excellent, very helpful and friendly, and also quite sexy (god, is it really wrong to have a crush on you FS?!? )

Origin would be so handy for us if we get to the stage of IVF, we are literally just off the Belmont Rd, but I think that would be a good while in the future, I have a good bit of weight to loose and some saving to do!

How's your down-regging going? (if that's even what it's called, hard to remember all the right lingo sometimes!)

Steph x

Down regging going well so far. Can't believe I've been doing it for two weeks now - how time flies when doing IVF - except the TWW of course - which drags even more after IVF. Origin is definitely the way to go in NI. If we're unsuccessful this time, I've told DH I'd rather not go to the Royal, so fingers crossed, we can scrounge the money from somewhere. DH has already down graded his car to pay for this cycle - I can't do the same cos mine's a company car - not sur the lease agency would appreciate me running off with the proceeds of their assets!!

I haven't read the HFEA for the Royal - must go have a look later. It's Friday, so it's homemade night, so after I've done that and got DH to load the dishwasher, I'll have a nosey for it. Is it just on the HFEA website?

I think you mentioned earlier that you have approx a 9 month wait for your review appointment - is that right or am I thinking of someone else? If I am right, and you want to speed things up a bit, I can give you a telephone number to pay for your review privately. It will get you 8 - 9 months higher up the list anyway...

Yeah the report is on the HFEA website, think you search for a clinic, then it gives you the option to open it. Can't really remember how I stumbled across it, if you have any probs finding it let me know & I can email it to you.

You are right about the wait time for the review apt, but I'm going to wait & finish the course of tamoxifen before I make a private apt. I have the number somewhere, but thanks. Am I right in thinking its about £180 and its at the Ulster Independent Clinic?

Hope you're enjoying your weekend!

Steph

My review was done at a clinic on the corner of Cranmore Park and Lisburn Road. It was £120 - but that was back in June 2008. I think Mrs R went to hers somewhere in the Stranmillis area - not sure where though.

I had a nosey on the HFEA website yesterday but couldn't really find any reports. I did come across the success rate info (which I'd seen before) but it's well out of date - surely to goodness they could have their 2007 figures there now. It's not like their are some pregnancies that are still ongoing from 2007 treatments ...

Weekend not going too bad - except for my lovely DH deciding to share his sore throat and cold with me - git!!! Went to Chili's for tea last night with a couple that are waiting for NHS IVF - I don't think they've had their review appointment yet. They don't know we are going through our 2nd IVF cycle - I haven't told them anything. So it's quite funny listening to her waffling on about how everything works (or so she thinks). Oh what a shock she is in for ...!!! I think when we announce our pregnancy, I'll tell her it was through IVF - heehee - or maybe that's just a bit mean.