COVID-19: Devon fertility service guide

Fertility Exeter will continue to consider urgent fertility preservation as top priority.

How do patients make an appointment?

Patients in possession of a labelled sample pot and diagnostic semen analysis request form (completed by their GP or other requesting clinician) must call the Embryology office at Fertility Exeter on 01392 405115 between 8:30am and 3:30pm Monday to Friday to book an appointment for their semen analysis. There will be 4 appointments available per day (Mon-Fri).

Can patients still produce a sample on-site if they live too far away from the clinic?

Unfortunately, we are unable to accommodate the production of on-site sample during this phase of our reopening. All samples will need to be produced off-site to minimise risk and footfall in the clinic. Samples should be submitted within 1.5 hours of production (please see Page 1 of our information leaflet 'Submitting Your Semen for Analysis' for more information on producing your sample).

How do patients submit their sample for analysis?

On the day before your appointment (Friday, if your appointment is a Monday), patients will be telephoned and asked some questions regarding COVID-19 and their health. This is to check that patients are still eligible to be able to attend with their sample as planned. If we think that patients may be at risk of having COVID-19, they will be asked to reschedule their appointment and will be unable to attend the clinic for a period of 2 weeks.

Patients must not attend the clinic without completing this telephone questionnaire.

On arrival at the clinic door for their allocated time, patients will be given access to the clinic and will be asked to place their sample and accompanying paperwork into a box. The sample will then be taken to the laboratory and analysed. The result will be sent to the requesting clinician within two weeks and they will be able to give patients this information in due course.

What if a patient needs to change or cancel their appointment?

Patients should telephone the Embryology office on 01392 405115 as soon as possible if they can no longer attend their appointment. This may allow us to re-allocate this time slot to someone else.

If a patient has already produced a sample but doesn't have an appointment, should they still drop it in?

Unfortunately, we will be unable to accept any additional samples at this time. If a patient attends the clinic without an appointment their sample will not be analysed and information on how to book an allocated day/time for their sample to be analysed will be given.

All new routine referrals will be clinically triaged and will either be added to a waiting list or, if appropriate, A&G will be given.

Please ensure that a practice-based system is in place to check daily for returning referrals with A&G.

All couples awaiting treatment will be contacted by letter in the first instance informing them that we are now able to offer them the opportunity to proceed.

A Covid-19 contract would be included for them to read and consider.

They will then be invited to discuss this by phone/video conference with one of the clinical team to answer any questions they may have and to confirm and document their intentions regarding proceeding on a Covid-19 consultation checklist.

Prior to making a routine referral, please ensure that any appropriate Policy or CRG has been reviewed and that all the suggested investigations and management options have been considered.

Northern fertility clinical referral guideline

Existing new and follow-up routine appointments have been cancelled and changed to telephone / video consultation where appropriate.

Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists identified older women, those who are overweight or obese, pregnant women with pre-existing conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes and women from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) background at higher risk of complications of coronavirus, being admitted to hospital or to have severe illness. These patients will have individualised discussion about the risks and sign the Agreement on Provision of Assisted Conception Treatment During COVID-19 if they wish to proceed with treatment. If necessary, cases will be discussed by the multidisciplinary team at a case review meeting.

Additionally, patients who are most at risk of severe complications from COVID-19 have been advised by the government to 'shield' themselves until further review. This means that they should stay at home and avoid face-to-face contact with anyone from outside of their household. Therefore, their treatment will be deferred until epidemiological evidence shows a sustained reduction in the community spread of the infection.

The "shielding" list has been identified by the NHS England and is detailed in the clinic's SOP for Treatment during Covid-19.

Pathway Group

This guideline has been signed off on behalf of the NHS Devon Clinical Commissioning Group

Publication Date: June 2020

Date updated: October 2020