Our team at Westmead Fertility Centre was delighted with Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s announcement that elective surgery could resume after 25 April 2020. Since that time, our team has been working with our Hospital colleagues to develop a roadmap for the reopening of oocyte (egg) pick-up procedures. We have undertaken extensive risk assessments and introduced new precautions for the delivery of fertility treatment in this current environment that assures the safety and wellbeing of patients and our staff. If the fertility sector is not successful in maintaining these precautions, there is a potential that all fertility services will once again be suspended.
We know this delay in reopening is excruciating for our patients. We too are feeling deeply frustrated and are desperate to resume the delivery of our highly valued services. But, we know that we must have all the necessary precautions in place ahead of time. We are trying to remain focused on the fact that this investment of time and our careful planning will assure staff, patients, the hospital and the community that we have done all we can.
Critically, we also need to ensure our new safety processes do not jeopardise the levels of personal protective equipment (PPE) available for the delivery of vital COVID-19 care to the broader community.
Westmead Fertility Centre will take a phased approach to the resumption of services:
- Phase 1 will include the reopening of frozen embryo transfer, intrauterine insemination, ovulation induction, and ovulation tracking cycles.
- Phase 2 will include the reopening of IVF and ICSI cycles.
We require that you do not commence treatment or enter our clinic at any time if you:
- are feeling unwell with flu-like symptoms (such as fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath), or
- have been diagnosed with COVID-19 less than 10 days ago and/or have acute symptoms less than 72 hours ago, or
- have been around someone diagnosed with, or suspected to have, COVID-19, or
- have returned from overseas in the last 14 days.
We require that you contact us immediately:
- if there are any changes to your situation after making your cycle booking, or
- if there are any changes to your situation 5 days after your treatment ends.
We require that you and your partner (if applicable):
- must take your temperature at home, before attending the clinic, and
- enter the clinic via the screening stations and answer all questions with honesty, and
- commit to good hand hygiene practices, and
- follow all social distancing arrangements when at the clinic, and
- consider downloading the Government’s COVIDSafe App while we treat you, and
- understand that if COVID-19 escalates through the community, or our staff become infected, we may need to postpone treatment for all fertility patients.
We are pleased to announce that we will now move into Phase 1 of service resumption. If you would like to commence a frozen embryo transfer, intrauterine insemination, ovulation induction, or ovulation tracking cycle then submit your request through the Patient Portal on day 1 of your next cycle or send an email to [email protected] and one of our team will be back in touch.
Progression to Phase 2 is dependent on Westmead Hospital’s assessment of a safe resumption of all elective surgery, which goes beyond just IVF procedures. Whilst the Commonwealth Government has granted permission to once again undertake elective treatments, the reality is that there is much for the Hospital team to consider before services can resume. Rest assured that we will advise our patients just as soon as we can progress to Phase 2 for IVF and ICSI cycles.
We are excited to again help our patients on their fertility journey, one step at a time.