Hi All,

I was just wondering if anyone is ttc in Wales or if anyone has experience of the IVF Wales Clinic at the University Hospital of Wales Cardiff? I recently attended the clinic for our first appointment and didnt have a very good experience.After hearing other peoples experiences of their appointments at their fertility clinics Im thinking of making a complaint but not sure if we have a case to argue and would like to know if anyone else has experiences at this clinic.

lizzy xxx

Hi sorry for g/c but just saw this post. I normally hang around the IVF and assisted conceptions page but had to reply to your question. I'm from Swansea and I had my IVF with ICSI done at the London Womens Clinic in Singleton hospital swansea. Me and OH had an absolutley brilliant team of nurses and a lovely doctor who were so helpful but honest and they got us through my treatment and out the other side without us getting stressed!! We are so lucky that my treatment worked first time and we have a 13 month old daughter. I don't personally have any experience with the IVF Wales clinic in Cardiff but if you are looking for an alternative clinic then please consider the same one I used.
I'm sorry you didn't have a very good experince this journey is stressful enough without feeling let down by your clinic. I think if you feel strongly enough about what happened then make a complaint they should treat you with respect and you should have gone away satisfied.
Sorry if this hasn't been much help
Good luck with your treatment
Rhian

Hi
I went to IVF Wales and I have to be honest I can't say a bad word - the consultant who I saw was lovely - he may have ran late but I didn't mind as when I was with him I probably went over my appointment time but he would answer all my concerns and I didn't feel that he wanted to get me out of the room quick or that I was being silly in asking any of the questions. The nursing staff that I saw when I was being shown how to use the medication and when I was going for the appointments to check how my follies were developing etc were also really nice - I was quite lucky I always saw the same person and I felt that they knew my history without me having to explain each time I went there. The only negative thing was that they had my wrong referral date and were putting me back nearly 6 months but this was soon sorted out when I explained when I thought I had been referred - they checked and it looks as if the admin staff had missed that particular letter when I was put on the computer but it was in my notes so was soon corrected.
I felt that everything was explained enough for what I needed to know at each stage - I thought that they knew what they needed to tell me at each step along the way. I could be biased as I am currently 23+2 on my first attempt. Throughout the whole experience I thought that the staff were very helpful from the admin staff booking the appointments right through to the nurses who show you how to use the medication to the embryologist looking after the embies to the consultant who puts them back - they want you to get pregnant too.
you say you had a bad experience - can I ask what happened? Hope this helps - perhaps you could ask to see someone else next time.
Take care xx

Hi Misspolar and Halesp,

Thank you both for your replies.

I will explain what happened and please be honest if you think I am overacting then please say as I have nothing to compare to and therefore may have unrealistic expectations!

We were left waiting for 30 mins which wasnt really a problem as long as we got our full appointment when we got seen. However we were rushed in and out in 15mins (the paperwork we received beforehand had said to allow 1hr to 1 & 1/2hr for the appointment).
The consultant didnt really ask us any questions just went through the questionnaire that we had completed beforehand and repeated a few of the details and wrote them down in another place on our file. I was diagnosed with an ovarian cyst in Feb which has continued to grow and my GP had supplied this information on the referral however the consultant hadnt checked this info on our file and therefore I had to tell her about it. She then said that they would do another SA for hubby (he's already had one which came back normal but it doesnt hurt to do another just to check) and another ultrasound for me to check on the cyst. This was then dismissed and no referrals made for these proceedures. I wasnt weighed she just looked me up and down and said you look normal and she didnt ask any questions about our history,lifestyle etc.
Towards the end of the appt she said I would need a lap and dye to check my fallopian tubes and drain or remove the cyst but when I asked how long I would be waiting for the procedure she didnt know and told me to ask the clinic co-ordinator (who when I asked looked at me like I had horns coming out of my head!!) She didnt make another appointment for us to attend the clinic so we have been left in a stage of limbo no knowing whats going on.
I went back to my GP following this appointment and she has arranged for a SA and ultrasound (which she shouldnt have to do as I am now under the care of the clinic).
I had no blood tests taken, they didnt check for Chylmida/rubella etc.
I just feel so confused and lost after the whole experience and dont know what to do next.
I have just rung the clinic to explain how I feel and to speak to someone. They are going to get one of the senior nurses to ring me and go through my clinic notes so hopefully I will get some more answers.

xx

Hi
I think you are completely right to feel the way you do, I would feel annoyed if my appointment had been like that, they should have discussed things with you and answered any questions you had not rushed you in and out plus you shouldn't be needing to ring back to clarify anything. The doctor should have looked at your notes and known your situation not you have to tell them.
I didn't have bloods taken on my first app as they wanted to check my FSH and I had to wait until my next period for that but that was explained to me and we were told the different steps and what to expect, plus as we were paying privately they explained the breakdown of the costs.
TBH it all seems a bit rushed and uninterested, after all your bound to have questions and feel nervous and they should reassure you not add to your worries. Personally if the follow up phone call doesn't help then I would look elsewhere. After going through fertility treatment I can safely say I was thankful for my clinic because it is an emotional rollercoaster. Hope I haven't scared you but I'd hate for you to stick with them and not be sure and then feel really let down further down the line. Be strong and stand up to them!
Take care
Rhian x

Hi Rhian,
Thank you so much for your reply. I did get a phonecall back from a lovely nurse at the clinic who answered all my question and was very helpful. She apologised that Id left the appt feeling the way I did and agreed that I should have an AMH blood test and further ultrasound. She also said that hubby was due another SA as it has been nearly a year since his last one and they like to check it annually. She has arranged for me to attend the clinic before my ultrasound scan in Aug to have the blood test done and will liase with the x-ray department to get my results after the scan. She was also able to tell me that the waiting time for Lap and Dye is 6 months!!! Far longer than I was expecting but she said to leave it a few weeks and then start chasing the referral. I feel a bit better and just hope that Im not waiting 6 months for the lap and dye to get the answers we need to proceed.

Thanks again Rhian. xxxx

Hi Lizzybuffe.

Sorry to hear what happened at the clinic but am glad that you did get a call back to answer your concerns.
I will let you know my story rather than my opinion if you get what I mean - i will try and keep it brief.
I had a m/c in Dec 07 and when i went for a scan to see if everything had passed i was told that I had an 8 cm cyst. I had this cyst removed and it was diagnosed as endometriosis (this was at the Royal Gwent) - I then had to see someone about my endo which I did and that he would follow me up in 3 months - 3 months came and went and I chased the appointment - I was told that they were running 1-2 months behind. Tried again after 6 weeks - still no joy. Got fed up so did some research about who could help with my endo and got a referral to Mr Penketh and Mr Griffiths (Mr Gr is also a consultant at IVF Wales). I saw Mr G and following a scan it showed that I had 2 more cysts which were endometriosis and that I would need to have it removed - again. At this appointment this is where he said that he would refer me to IVF as there was no harm in me waiting and it would take a few months before my initial appointment - which would be with him (but he also said he'd hope that he wouldn't need to see me - in a nice way). Had the op but unfortunately the endo came back after a month - Saw Mr G again and he plotted out the plan of action - my periods would have to be suppressed straight after the op and that IVF would be the way forward.
With my journey I suppose I felt that I wasn't getting anywhere until I found the right people to help me and as I've said before I am now 23 weeks pg.
I would get upset at some of my appointments because I wanted to hear right we will start you on the treatment tomorrow. But due to other complications along the way they had to deal with them first - and everything was always explained even if it wasn't what I wanted to hear. I guess what I'm trying to say is sometimes when you go for your consultations you are expecting certain things like good news but they do need to check everything to make sure that they are starting with the best chance for you and I am guessing that they need to see what is happening with the cyst before they can talk to you about the next stage. I don't think I ever got weighed as I suppose they could see that I wasn't over the BMI restriction and my bloods were done when I went for the appointment to discuss what date to start ( I had the basic fertility tests quite a few times at the GP and gave them these results) DH had to do a SA even though he had done a couple before IVF Wales like to have their own people test it as well. As you are on the waiting list now for IVF then waiting a bit for the lap and dye isn't really going to put you back (easy for me to say it like that now as at the time I would have got my self quite worked up about it all - until the voice of reason - ie my DH calmed me down again and make me see it in a different way). Is it definately a lap and dye that you have to have or could you just have an HSG - if you could just have an HSG then I'm sure the wait for this would be a lot less.

I said that I would try and keep this brief and I think I have failed - sorry to waffle on but its hard to explain everything like this. I am glad to hear that you are feeling better after you spoke with the nurse I hope I haven't scared you about anything - especially my endo - I would hope that when you were scanned before they would have mentioned any concerns then. I'm still going on now - i need to stop so I will end with it is a long journey but it is all worth it in the end. Take care xx

HalesP, thank you so much for sharing your story with me. In answer to your question, Im not sure if it has to be a lap and dye or if I can go for hsg, as this wasnt discussed during our appt. I think that the consultant recommended lap and dye as they can remove/drain cyst at the same time. They have suggested that I may have endometriosis so I am prepared for that.
Your story has given me hope and hasnt scared me. I can see what you are saying about expecting everything to be solved at one appt, I am not the most patient of people at the best of times and as with everyone on here were desperate for a baby amd each time were told to wait feels like we're taking a step further away from our dream.
Thank you again for your support and advice.
Lizzy xx

Hi Lizzybuffe
Lap & dye makes sense then if they need to remove the cyst. Have you had any symptoms of endo - like painful periods or anything - I had nothing and so didn't know I had it until I had my first op.

I'm not a patient person either especially with TTC everything always seemed 'another month till we could try again' and I use to wind myself up a lot over it. I think the only time I managed to relax was after my last op where due to the endo coming back so quick it was decided to suppress my periods for a minimum of 3 months - I did think originally 'another 3 months' but then I thought it's being done to help my chances and in case the endo came back then I wouldn't need another op. I didn't want to wait any longer and so we were going to go private after this suppression but due to the timing it would have meant starting treatment just before Christmas and probably having the collection and transfer about a week before Christmas so I decided I didn't want to do that and lets forget about it for another month go on a skiing holiday with friends and have a good time and then when we get back from that we would start - which is what we did and luckily we were able to have it on the nhs by then.

Hope it all starts to move along swiftly for you now - keep chasing appointments and referrals - don't wait for the phone call or letter to come through.

Take care xx

I have been referred to the fertility department in Swansea however so far it doesn't feel like a positive start being told I'm on a 26 week waiting list as I'm not classed as priority! 

why does the process take so long for the first initial appointment?