Emotional and Psychological Care for BCRM Patients

Patient Information

What is Patient Support?

The BCRM Patient Support Service provides a range of ways to help you manage any stresses and strains you may encounter while you are a patient in our care. Patient Support sessions are offered by our in-house Specialist Fertility Therapist, Wendy Martin, who delivers a range of practical tools, techniques and opportunities to help you improve the quality of your lives and manage the stresses and strains associated with the fertility difficulties you may be encountering. During these sessions you can have any of the following: –

• Counselling

• Communication Tools

• Self-Hypnosis

• Relaxation Techniques

• Mindfulness

• Guided Visualisation

How might Patient Support help me?

Undergoing fertility investigations and treatments can sometimes engender a range of unexpected and difficult emotions and experiences while you try to achieve the family you desire. These can include: –

• Tearfulness, being unable to control emotions

• Overwhelming feelings of sadness and loss

• Distress and jealousy when friends, relatives and colleagues become pregnant

• Feeling left out, left behind, isolated mot part of the mainstream of life

• Anger, bitterness and frustration at a situation you cannot control

• Sex is no longer fun – it’s a baby-making process

• Loss of identity, purpose and meaning

• Stress and strain when the relationship and communication difficulties

• A sense of being punished and singled out

• Not being able to decide when to stop

• Feeling in limbo – life is on hold

• Earlier feelings of disappointment and loss resurfacing

• Bafflement at your partners reactions

Am I more likely to get pregnant if I access Patient Support?

Although there is no scientific evidence that stress can in any way affect the outcome of assisted conception treatments such as IVF or ICSI* at BCRM we are nonetheless still very interested in your emotional and psychological wellbeing while you are a patient at our clinic. It is important to us that your time spent in our care is as good as it can be. So, from the time you come to us for investigations and tests, and then throughout any treatment you have with us, we provide a range of services that are designed to help you maintain the optimum quality of life.

*‘Emotional distress in infertile women and failure of assisted reproductive technologies: meta-analysis of prospective psychosocial studies’ J Boivin, E Griffiths, C A Venetis 2011 British Medical Journal (BMJ) 342

Confidentiality

What you discuss with the therapist will not be shared with the medical team. Confidentiality may only be breached if you disclose something that gives cause for serious concern (e.g., that you are considered to be a danger to yourself or others, or you are at risk of serious harm, or that a child may be at risk of harm). In such rare cases this would be discussed with you first before taking it to the senior team.

Do I pay extra for this service?

No. The Patient Support Service is an integral part of your treatment pathway and is offered at no extra charge for both NHS funded patients and self-funded patients. This support continues for six months after you have finished your treatment with us.

How many Patient Support Sessions am I allowed?

You can have one free Patient Support Session while you are undergoing tests and investigations with us. Once you start treatment you can have one complimentary appointment if you are an NHS patient and three free appointments for each cycle of IUI, IVF or ICSI you may undertake. Further support is available should you want it but a charge will be made for any additional sessions.