How does it all work / where to get help?

Nasnan

Hi

I stopped taking the pill about a year ago, and haven't had a period since. I have been to three doctors in Galway, and finally got a referral to a gyne, but it turns out there is OVER A YEAR's waiting list. I am not from Ireland, and I don't have a health insurance, because I was told the public health care system is free. Obviously they failed to mention it was years of waiting!!

I am really worried and stressing over this. I would love to even just to get ultrasounds done, so that I could stop stressing over PCOS and such. I find this incredibly frustrating, I come from Scandinavia where things work completely differently, and you get help easy and cheap.

I am trying to find out now, if I can get a private appointment, but I have been warned that this is really expensive ? Where should I try to look, who would be a good doctor (don't want to pay fortunes and get no help or a really dismissive doctor), and how much would it probably cost?

pwurple

Sounds like you don't have a decent GP either. When my cycles stopped, my GP referred me to a private ultrasound clinic. The ultrasound was 150 eur, and was not covered by my health insurance. No other costs were involved. She also put me on a different pill for one month... This seemed to 'jumpstart' the cycles.

Speak to locals and find out the best GP there for female health issues. Some take these things more seriously than others.

The public system in Ireland is very difficult to get into unless you have a medical card, or you are already pregnant. Public pregnancy care is excellent.

Get health insurance if you can afford it. But if it is for fertility issues, insurers don't consider those to be part of 'health' ... They put them in the same bracket as cosmetic surgery. Sickening, but it is the way it goes here. I don't know if you read the papers, but Ireland is stoney broke.

Nasnan

Thanks pwurple. Well the 150e I'd happily pay!! Even if private consultants would charge 100-150e, I don't mind, I worry that the costs would be several hundred euros per visit (in which case, it would actually be cheaper for me to travel to Scandinavia and pay a private consultant there...)

I will ask around again and look for, yet another GP. Like I said I've already been to three different GPs and all of them have been more or less dismissive and reluctant to help, only the last one referred me forwards. I just find this really unbelievable, especially considering I am paying them from my own pocket.

I cannot believe that about the insurance either!? This attitude towards women's health is just ridiculous!!

barbiegirl

The average cost per visit is €150_200 get you drug scheme card, it's free and limits you spend per month on drugs to €130. The right gp makes a massive difference good. Luck.

Neyite

Hi Nasan, I have had experience of the galway fertility system, and will pm you my doctors details, and possible costs involved in a little while.

Neyite

baby is napping so I can post now

Nasnan, when it comes to gynae/fertiltiy in Ireland the following apply.

Fertility treatment is nearly always privately paid for and not covered under most Health Insurance plans. Gynaelogical issues that may be revealed during fertility testing (eg pcos, hormone imbalance, cysts etc) may be covered, if there is a gynaelogical reason for the tests/procedures but will not be covered if its purely for fertility reasons. So for example, a Hystersalpingogram Xray (dye in the fallopian tubes) would not be covered by your insurer for purely fertility reasons, but if your gynae suspected endometriosis and it needed investigated by the same X-ray it would be covered.

Now, if you pay for any medical treatments, keep the reciepts, even if you have no health insurance. You can submit to Revenue and get 20% of the medical costs reimbursed at the end of the year. Not much, but its something I suppose.

You can get a referral to the public system, which might take months or years to a Gynae, but going privately to the same Gynae you could get an appointment in weeks - and some couples can get fertility treatment on the public system, however, there is a massively huge waiting list, and as you can imagine, is years of a wait. Even then, your circumstances are assessed as far as I know.

Can I ask which Galway gynae you have been referred to? it might be one of the ones that treated myself or my friends. Brooklawn House is comprised of 3 gynae/fertility specialists who are affiliated with Galway Fertility Clinic next door. If this is where you were referred to, then I can go into detail what I paid and the timeline we had there, along with the tests they scheduled for me.

My GP practice are excellent, and I've no hesitation in recommending them if you are still looking for a GP. They (and Galway Fertility Unit) also do early morning slots from 8am so I didnt have to take much time off work at all - I was usually at my desk for 9am and work none the wiser about my fertility treatment.

Have you had Day 3/Day 21 bloods done?

Nasnan

Thank you SO much Neyite! I have been very confused by all this, and my GP(s) haven't exactly been helpful.

I don't mind about paying all that much. I mean there is of course I limit to what we can afford, but just as long as I get things forward somehow, that's our priority.

I was referred to the UHG for the gynae, they didn't give me a name when I called there. Perhaps it might be worth my while to go to my doctor again and ask a referral through the private system for Brooklawn House or somewhere (as i understand you always need a referral, you can't just call and book privately?)? Or maybe just go to another GP altogether? I would only love to know if you could recommend anyone? You can send me a private message as well if you wish. I feel really lost with all this, since I am used to a completely different system, and I feel frustrated that I am not getting any information or help from the GPs I've been to.

As I haven't had any periods, no cycle at all, I have no Day 3/Day 21 bloods done. They have taken my hormone levels twice, both came back within the normal limits, they have also taken my thyroid three times (with all the different doctors) and it's all fine. Back when I was living in my home country, before I was put on the pill, I had an ultrasound, smear tests, bloods and the lot taken. I had some cysts at the time, but since I was very young the doctor suspected they would dissapear when I am on the pill. I would really want to get things checked again since things aren't working as they're supposed to.