Leeds Fertility takes your safety very seriously. We have made huge changes to our service to protect you and your partner when you are planning and going through your treatment. All our procedures have been thoroughly risk accessed, and a careful log is kept each day so that any problems can be identified and remedied as quickly as possible. We recognise that some of these changes may seem a little impersonal at this stressful time. Rest assured, our helpful friendly staff will try their hardest to make your fertility journey as smooth and stress free as possible.
Consultations
The majority of consultations, both new, review and the nurse consultations prior to starting treatment are now performed virtually, using smart telephone technology, or secure video conferencing. These are designed to be equally effective as our face to face consultations but reduce the footfall to the clinic.
Clinic appointments for investigations and treatment.
Everyone who is attending our clinic for a test as part of investigation or treatment is contacted and asked a simple list of questions to see if you are at risk of having or catching the virus. This is part of what is termed a triage process.
On the day of your appointment we ask that you attend alone, at the allocated time. Your partner should remain in the car or hospital grounds. We have lengthened the time of each appointment and spaced them out. At the entrance to the clinic you will be re-asked your triage questions, and have your temperature monitored. If the questions are all satisfactory and your temperature is normal you can then proceed into the clinic. We also ask that you wear a face mask when you enter the clinic. You are encouraged to wear your own cloth / face mask as this helps conserve our PPE supplies as much as we can, but if you do not have your own, or forgot to bring it with you, we will supply you with a simple face mask.
The spacious waiting room as been changed to make sure that we comply with the social distancing rules. All clinic areas are marked to help make it clear what you need to do.
When you are called into your appointment the staff too will be wearing simple face masks and will not shake hands. All equipment used and the treatment rooms are carefully sterilised after each appointment.
Men who require a sperm test and live locally (within 20 miles), will be provided with a semen pot at reception, and asked to produce their sample at home, rather than in the clinic. If this is not possible, or you live a distance away, we can organise for you to use one of our dedicated bedrooms in the clinic. For those producing at home, there will still be set appointment times for the sperm samples to be brought to the clinic for analysis.
Clinic procedures
For those having procedures like egg collections, inseminations or embryo transfers, we will carefully stagger the times of your appointments to make sure you are in the clinic for the minimum time required to get you ready for your procedure. We have changed the way we operate to allow the required social distancing and plenty of time to thoroughly clean the procedure room and recovery bay between cases. We have also committed to working longer, including treating Saturday and Sunday as normal working days to ensure we can treat as many of you as possible safely.
Testing for Coronavirus
As part of our commitment to minimize the risk of infection for all having IVF and related procedures, we are going to test both partners for coronavirus (antigen testing) at the start of the treatment process, and again on day 9 of stimulation. We ask you to comply with strict social distancing from the start of treatment, then to self-isolate from day 9 to the day after the embryo transfer, a period of approximately 8 to 9 days. Please note patients will only hear back from us regarding their coronavirus test, if a positive result is confirmed.
Your individual commitment
As part of your commitment to reduce the risk of developing COVID 19, it is important to follow Government guidance at www.gov.uk/coronavirus , particularly on social distancing and handwashing. We are also asking those embarking on fertility treatment to complete a COVID 19 consent form acknowledging that you have read the relevant information in the weblinks provided, and that during your fertility treatment you confirm that you will observe a strict code of conduct that we have put together to reduce the risk of bringing infection into the clinic. We are asking you to advise us that when you start treatment you have not been diagnosed with COVID 19 or display any of the symptoms of the disease within the preceding 7 days. You will be asked to complete a daily COVID 19 diary sheet during the treatment process and make an undertaking to let us know if you become symptomatic. If you do have a confirmed coronavirus infection, we will have to suspend your treatment cycle to allow time for you to fully recover before you can restart. PDF copies of the Consent and COVID 19 Code of Conduct are found on the bottom of the main news item announcing we are re starting treatment.
Cancellation of treatment
At any stage of the treatment process if you develop coronavirus infection your treatment will be postponed, allowing time for you to fully recover. This also ensures as far as possible that infected individuals are not seen at Leeds Fertility, lowering the risk of infecting other patients and staff alike.