At the Edinburgh Fertility Centre, we use a secure online patient portal to provide you with the legal consent forms related to your treatment.
It is your responsibility to ensure all consents are completed prior to us commencing treatment.
The following information is intended to answer some frequently asked questions and assist you in navigating the portal to complete your consents, ensuring you feel confident and comfortable with your answers before you proceed with treatment. You will be required to complete consent forms for all cycles of treatment.
If this is your first time using the patient portal, please ensure you read the following information before completing your consent forms. If you have used the portal previously, take a moment to refresh your memory.
Things you need to know
As a rule, we ask that all forms are completed 2 working days before your appointments to allow our staff to review the documents. Failure to do so will result in your appointment being cancelled.
When you first log in, you will be asked to upload photographic identification. Please use a passport. (A driver’s license may only be used if you do not hold a passport.)
You must work through the modules in order and complete them all. If you are unsure which form is next, click “My Consents” on the top task bar and click “Fill”.
We advise setting aside time to work through your consent forms. As these can be quite detailed, we would recommend regular breaks. You do not have to complete all modules/forms at one time.
Please ensure the information provided matches the identification you have uploaded, ensuring full names are used, avoiding nicknames. This also applies for partner information if required. If you are recently married but have not updated your ID, please only use your married name if you are uploading a marriage certificate.
If you are a couple, you both have your own consents to complete. We do ask that you discuss your answers with one another to ensure you both understand and agree on your preferences.
We advise that prior to your Pre-Doctor’s appointment you have a look over/familiarise yourself with the platform and we will be happy to answer any questions at this appointment.
You will be required to complete consent forms for each individual cycle of treatment you undertake with us (both fresh and frozen embryo transfers). Not all forms will need to be signed each time.
Getting started:
You will receive a text message from the sender NHSConsents. If you are attending as a couple, you will each receive your own details. If this does not happen, please contact us. Once you have received this message, you are ready to login and get started. The text message includes:
- A link to the online consent portal https://edinburgh.ivfscotland.com/
- Your patient ID (your fertility number + either F/M etc)
- A key phrase
Once logged in, you will be prompted to create your own password. We suggest using a memorable password that you will remember for each time you log in.
Click the “Forgot Password?” link to reset your password if required.
If this is not your first time using the consents portal, you will receive a new login for each round of treatment, however your Patient ID will remain the same. This ID links all cases to you and allows us to track all of your information.
Timeline of Consents
First cycle of treatment at EFC:
- Doctor’s Appointment: Before your initial doctor’s appointment, you will have been issued with your pre-consultation consent forms. At this stage, you are required to complete the information modules & the following forms: Patient Questionnaire, Consent to blood tests prior to storage, Travel declaration, HFEA CD form and HFEA Welfare of the Child.
After your doctor’s appointment, the consultant will issue you with further consent forms specific to you and your treatment plan.
- Nurse Discussion Appointment: Before your Nurse Discussion appointment, you are required to login and complete the following: Local consent forms for IVF/ICSI treatment, HFEA WT (intended birth mother) or MT, if you are providing sperm to be used in the creation of your embryos and the Embryo Cryopreservation Patient Contract & Financial Declaration form.
Subsequent fresh treatment cycles:
- When you return for a second or third cycle of treatment, you may not always repeat the above appointments. In this instance, you will receive your login prompt when we send your confirmation of treatment letter. If you receive a letter but no login details, please call us urgently.
- Some modules & forms do not need completed every cycle. These will show as signed previously. If you wish to make any changes to these or provided updated personal details, please call our admin team.
- Please ensure all forms are complete before you call us with your period. Your pre-treatment appointment cannot go ahead if your consent forms are not complete and will result in your treatment being postponed.
Frozen embryo transfer cycles:
- When you book a frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycle, you may not always attend the centre prior to your pre-treatment appointment. You will receive your login prompt when we send out your confirmation of treatment letter. If you receive a letter but no login details, please call us urgently.
- Some modules & forms do not need completed every cycle. These will show as signed previously. If you wish to make any changes to these or provided updated personal details, please call our admin team.
- Please ensure all forms are complete before you call us with your period. Your pre-treatment appointment cannot go ahead if your consent forms are not complete and will result in your treatment being postponed.
Please note that failure to complete your consent forms before these appointments will result in your appointment being cancelled. This will not be rescheduled until consents are complete & may cause delays to your treatment. If you are booked for treatment and have not received consents on the portal, please contact us urgently.
Important information regarding HFEA forms:
All consent forms are a requirement for treatment, however the HFEA forms are provided by our governing body and contain vital information relating to your treatment.
HFEA CD Disclose Personal Information:
On the HFEA CD form (Section 3, 3.1) it asks if you consent to our centre contacting 3 key groups with your identifying information. By ticking all 3 options, you are consenting for us to:
- GP – Contact your GP to provide important information relating to your treatment.
- Other healthcare professionals – Submit a referral to another department for medical reasons relating to your treatment, if required.
- Auditors or Admin staff outside your clinic – If you are a self-funding patient, this allows us to contact our finance department with any future billing (for your treatment to go-ahead) and for auditing purposes by the HFEA.
HFEA WT Women’s & MT Men’s consent to treatment and storage form (IVF and ICSI)
If attending as a couple; you will both receive your own version of this form – either an MT or a WT. Although the answers should be your own, we strongly recommend that you discuss your choices as a couple. If there are discrepancies between your answers, a member of staff will discuss this with you to ensure you are informed on the implications of these choices.
You may be asked to re-complete a form due to errors or if you wish to change your answers after discussion with clinic staff. Unfortunately, we cannot modify individual sections and the whole form will need to be recompleted. We ask you do this as soon as possible to avoid delays.
To view all consent forms which require completion, click “My Consents” along the task bar at the top of the portal. All modules & forms must show in completed. If you are receiving messages to complete outstanding forms, the system has identified incomplete forms, so please log in promptly.
If you have any concerns, problems logging into the portal or any other queries, please contact the centre on 0131 242 2409/2443 and one of the admin team will be able to assist you.
