Experience of IVF clinic at St Helier's? Post Reply

[confusedaboutchoices]

Hi,

Wondered if you can help advise....a friend of mine has been given NHS funding for one round of IVF but has been sent to St Helliers. She's really worried about it and didn't really like the hospital (plus its over an hour away from where she lives).

I'm wondering if anyone has had any positive experiences there that I can tell her about to reassure her....her main concern is that it doesn't seem very clean, she's read a lot of reviews that really slate the hospital and now she's worried that they might lose her eggs or something.

A lot of this is probably general nervousness but it would be great if I could reassure her (or tell her not to go there if actually people think her concerns are valid).

Do you know if you can change hospitals? She's obviously very lucky to have any NHS funding at all, and given that she hasn't been given a choice of hospital maybe the funding is linked to the hospital rather than to the couple?

Any advice / thoughts would be brilliant. Of course its a very sensitive subject so please do feel free to PM rather than post directly if you prefer.

thanks so much

[ClareS]

Hello
I finally got funding for one round of NHS IVF and like your friend was allocated St Helier's. I had similar concerns to your friend, although I actually really liked the doctor I saw there and he phoned me personally the next day, which I have to say no consultant has ever done for me. I wanted to change hosptials (ideally to UCH), but he said that my only option was to change to Kings. I would have done this (I think you needed to fill in more forms and arrange another appointment), but miraculously I ended upgetting pregnant before I had to start my NHS treatment. I looked at the stats and they were pretty average for St Heliers, although Kings may have been slightly better.
Sorry not to be able to help more.

[JThomas]

My experience is a bit out of date, but when I was referred possibly needing IVF 5 years ago my GP told me it would have to be at St Hellier.

We ended up having an appointment at Guys and St Thomas' sub-fertility clinic (love the names!) and when they confirmed we needed IVF Guys wrote to the PCT and got permission to fund it there.

PCTs have now been replaced by CCGs (clinical commissioning groups) but it broadly shouldn't matter to them where you go (cost will be similar in many hospitals). But 5 years ago all the commissioning (buying of services) for IVF was done by the head IVF doctor at St Hellier (conflict of interests anyone?) so there may be pressure to go there.

I recommend your friend speak to their GP (although the GP may not know) and might be worth contacting the CCG directly too.

We had a great experience at Guys and I think the logistical point (distance from home and work) is not to be underestimated - given that you probably have to go the clinic at least a dozen times, with most of those visits within a fortnight. If its a difficult journey it's stress you don't need.

PM me if any of this doesn't make sense. And good luck to your friend.

[Genie]

Hello
I did IVF a couple of years ago, not at St Helier's. But just in case it is useful: Yes I think a lot of her worries are 'just nerves' as this is a scary and strange process. The problem is that being stressed and anxious actually decreases chances of success, so she should try to find out more about the place, meet staff and do some visits, etc., to help her relax. In any case, none of these places ever "lose eggs" etc. and I really doubt any are actually unclean either.
Travelling distance is important, as the other commenter said, as you will be trekking back and forth quite a bit - for me, each morning for 10 days for blood tests to monitor hormone levels. The whole thing is quite uncomfortable, so anything she can do to minimise discomfort is a good idea.
My partner and I decided to go for the clinic with the best results, and just to spend a lot of money on getting it right - we cut back on other less-important things to do this one big thing. We were successful the first time, and I think we made the right decision.

[Motherhen]

Hi
We had NHS funded IVF 4 years ago at St Hellier. We weren't given a choice of where to go but by that point I was so desperate it really wasn't an issue. The doctors and nurses were fantastic and I really can't say we had any negative issues at all. At the time they were having their facilities updated so we did most of the treatment at St Helliers but the embryology and implantation happened at Guys & St Thomas's. It meant an interesting journey on the tube into Central London for my husband carrying my eggs in a coolbox! But the long and short of it is that we were successful and conceived our son (who is now 3). We had to go privately for number 2 and stuck with Guys & St Thomas's and again were successful and had a little girl 9 months ago.
I know we've been very lucky indeed and it was a tough time - but I really don't think she need worry about St Helliers. The team were great. Yes the hospital is quite old fashioned in appearance and little shabby, but it certainly wasn't dirty. At the end of the day it's an intrusive experience and not what we dream about in terms of conceiving a child but the hospital itself was not an issue at all. Everything was done with great care and she really shouldn't worry about them losing her eggs - I don't think that ever happens these days!

[firsttimerSW11]

I was also allocated st hillier. Hated it So went back to gp who changed me to Chelsea and Westminster. I say just tell your friend to do same if not happy.

[kamikaze]

AVOID!!! … changed to Chelsea and Westminster!!

[pie81]

I don't have IVF experience but I had my daughter at St Heliers. She spent 3 weeks in the neonatal unit there and I spent 10 days living in the postnatal ward (thankfully in a private room) to be close to my daughter while she was treated.

In my experience the staff were all lovely (in delivery, postnatal and neonatal wards) and the hospital was clean (I stayed in two different rooms and they were both very clean). I don't remember any particular signs of disorganisation, the neonatal ward was very competently run as far as I can tell and I'm pretty fussy about that kind of thing. Also I think in some ways I had better treatment due to it being a smaller unit than, for example, St Georges where I originally intended to give birth, since they were able to be more flexible and get to know me better.

Of course my experience mainly relates to the delivery and neonatal wards, I can't comment on the IVF/fertility staff or rooms.

best of luck to your friend.