Infertility clinic (UK) ?

Hello..

I have started the infertility investigation with NHS. I went for my first appointment on the 29th Oct at St Helier Hospital (Sutton SM)
They gave me have loads of home work to do; blood test, sperm sample.. ect..
Once I have done all the exams I will need to see the consultant to discuss the outcome of the tests... However the first available appointment just to discuss the exams will be the 13 May 2009!! Yes.. It is shocking but that is what it is.

The lady that booked the appointment with said that once I have done all the exams I can call them to see if someone cancelled and move my appointment forward.
I was thinking to call them every day till they get fed up of me.. Or if I get fed up first I would go private.

Once I have all the exams if I decide to go private is the NHS Hospital obliged to transfer all my exams and paper work to a private hospital if I ask them to do so? In that way I can have a erlier consultation.

Anyone had the same experience?

Any suggestion?
I'm very much desperate and cannot certainly wait 7 months just to have a consultation to know what is wrong.

TTC #1 for 20 months.

hello!

i live in cheam! how funny... i was referred to epsom as my GP is in the ewell borough.

going private you will still be in St Helier and seeing the same consultants but just quicker. why dont you ring up and ask them the procedure for going private? i was considering going private to start withbecause it takes about 4-5months between each consultation, but i have stuck the wait out.. i have had a cancellation appointment too and it was bought forward by 2 months.

goodluck, let us know what happens xxxx

That's really awful. A friend of mine had the same sort of experience. She had a lap and dye to see if her tubes were blocked and she had to wait almost 4 months before she even got a yes or no answer. All her appointments were months apart.
Unfortunately the NHS doesn't prioritise fertility treatment and resources are very stretched.

If you can possibly afford it, go private. Or just keep calling and hoping for a cancellation.

Hi, I was exactly in the same boat as you. I had my first appointment with a gyno in sept 2007 then they gave me the next appointment in Aug 2008 which was 11 months away...I was horrified and really upset that I had to wait that long. No one told me about the cancellations but I just phoned myself every week.

I did get a cancellations and was seen 2 months later in November and then again in January and finally in March were they transferred me. I got all these appointment by cancellations. July 2008 I had my consultation...And now November I'm just waiting for my period to start ivf/icsi and I have all my medications already. Just don't give up and keep bugging them. By now I would have only had my second appointment,

Just make sure you carry out all your tests and the results have come before you go and see them...they will then have no choice but to start you off. That's what they did with me...I had all my results so there was nothing else for them to do.

Good luck hun!