Mistakes made by private clinic

[1MamaBearseeksBabyBear]

Hi everyone, I was looking for a bit of advice please and your thoughts on what had happened at our clinic. We started fertility treatment at a private clinic in may. In the beginning of treatment I didn't get a scan. After I had started the medication I got a scan and they discovered that I had an endometrial polyp which can adversely affect implantation. The cycle was cancelled. I also wasn't responding to treatment, shorter protocol next time. The doctor confirmed that she would write to my GP. She didn't write to the GP despite being promised three times they would. I went to the GP but couldn't get referred because they had no letter from clinic. Has anyone else had these disasters at private clinics, would it be worth while pursuing this to get a refund? Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Definitely complain! They should have done a scan beforehand to check for any uterine anomalies. Even if one wasn't picked up into the cycle was underway, they should have offered you the option of a freeze all cycle (ie make the embryos and freeze them, with no fresh transfer, so you can have the polyp removed before transferring in a FET)

It sounds like there are two separate issues however - the polyp, and poor response to stims. The latter unfortunately is harder to predict and it may well be that cycle cancellation and restarting on a short protocol would be better for you. However they're two different issues and would definitely say the former is avoidable, even if the latter wasn't...

Thank you. Wow, they never even gave me any option. I appreciate your advice. I am going to out in a complaint. Thank you x

If you're private they should have given you this option - it's more expensive as you then have to pay for a FET as well, but tbh if they failed to pick up on the polyp before you'd started stims I think they're potentially at fault in that regard too

Good luck!!

Plenty to think about here! Seriously, I had never heard of FET. You think you are going private and you are paying for a good service, not always the case! Yes I agree they should have discovered the polyp and I shouldn't have started until it was removed. The Drs reluctantance to write to my gp about it makes me think they have something to hide! Appreciated, thank you very much x

Agree clinic should have continued and then froze embroyo and had a fet

No other fertility scans ever showed the polop?

First scan I have had was with this private clinic and it was during my treatment and that was the first I had heard of this polyp. Thanks for this advice, I wish I had known this at the time!

Didn't you have any fertility checks /scans before starting ivf

Usually get sent for internal scan to check ovaries

Lap dye test for tubes

As a bare minimum

How much did the failed cycle /drugs cost you?

The only test they gave me was AMH to check ovarian reserve, that was it. It cost us £5900. That was the only test they gave me. I feel pretty cheated right now! X

Wow. Cost is basically a whole cycle cost. Ouch

And all for nothing :(

Why didn't they carry on and do ec anyway and freeze ? Even if turned out no embroys made it to day 5/blast - least would have had a go esp if had to pay anyway

I would be pretty pissed off tbh

I think you have def got a case

Think you need to organise a meeting and say you want a refund

Yeah I am pretty pissed off. After hearing other people's opinions I am going to push for a refund. Wasn't sure if I was being petty but after reading that other people are pretty shocked makes me feel confident. Thank you so much. I have no idea why this clinic did what they did, it felt like a conveyer belt just looking for your cash! X

A simple saline ultrasound would have shown up any uterine anomalies even if you didn't have a lap and dye. This would have then indicated if a lap or hysto was indicated

They should have done a proper work up before you began the cycle - shocking!!

Thank you bananafish81. I'm starting to regret going here big time!x

As others have said, you should definitely fight for a refund or a free 'proper' treatment cycle at the very least. I am amazed they did not scan before you started, how can they know everything is ok to begin??!! I was scanned on my initial consultation, polyp discovered and removed the next day. As you say, they can affect implantation and therefore should be removed.

As pp have said you shouldn't have been allowed to start the ivf without more basic checks including an ultrasound.

Push back about the three issues

1. why no ultrasound before treatment
2. follow up on the lack of response to failed cycle - what specifically do they think caused that - and have they ruled out all other causes- and how is the new protocol going to help?
3. the cost - that's a massive sum of money for a cycle failed at what was I assume an early stage.

This is such an emotional thing for you op - sorry.

Thank you to you both, I appreciate your opinions and experience at having been through treatment. I have put in a complaint and I am going to go all the way with this! Thank you.

You definitely shouldn't be charged for a full cycle. You only had a couple of weeks of meds! Plus what others said about tests beforehand and a baseline scan. I have been to 3 clinics and all those things are standard. I have also had 1 cancelled cycle as I didn't respond (not clinic's fault) and I only paid for the meds. Can you say which clinic it is or where you are and maybe we could suggest an alternative one?

If they had suggested just paying for the meds I would have been pleased with it. I'm in Scotland and it was a clinic in Glasgow. We are going to a new clinic next week for initial consultation. It is with the NHS but we are paying for the treatment there. It is substantially cheaper than a private clinic. I have made the clinic aware of my polyp and the treatment won't start until it's removed.

I can't believe they charged you for treatment you didn't have

I had one cancelled IVF cycle and 2 cancelled FET and I just paid for the meds!

And this is a Harley St consultant...!

They are just a money making machine with no thought for the patient. I never expected this reaction from people. It makes me even more angry. Also the fact that the doctor would not write to my GP and I asked them 3 times makes me think they had something to hide. I'm taking this all the way. Thank you.

I'm angry on your behalf. It's just so wrong to take advantage of people like that. I'm down south but for various reasons I did consider having treatment in Scotland. My consultant said GCRM had a good reputation. I'm glad you have found a new clinic anyway. At least the NHS shouldn't rip you off!

Thank you I appreciate that. I had a look at GRCM and I thought it was quite expensive. The clinic we went to has a fantastic reputation believe it or not lol! Thank you, I've got my fingers crossed🙏👣🙏

Oh is it? We went abroad in the end so I never looked into it further. Good luck with your new clinic. It might be a blessing in disguise if this one works for you (but get your money back anyway)!

Abroad is a lot cheaper so if /when you do devise new clinic have a look about

Thank you lovely ladies, I will do and yes I hope this is a blessing in disguise lol . Complaint made and pursuing until money back. Thank you 😊

My first NHS cycle was abandoned half way through when I seemed to develop a polyp while down regulating. It hadn't shown up on pre IVF ultrasounds and I had a hysteroscopy to check what it was and remove it before restarting treatment.

My private clinic had a sliding scale refund policy so patients would get refunds minus cancellation fees depending on where they got to in their treatment. See here: www.bostonplaceclinic.co.uk/images/general/IVFH-BP-INF-ADM-001_FINANCIAL_INFORMATION_FOR_PATIENTS_V23.pdf