IVF in a private clinic - is there any compliance?

[MrsFurphy]

I'll try and make as much sense out of this as possible, so here goes;

I'm about to start my first private cycle of IVF which, as I'm sure you're all aware, will cost thousands.

A lot of the consultants working there are both private and NHS doctors.

My concern is - while I don't doubt that these consultants will (hopefully) have our best interests at heart - that at the end of the day this clinic is a business; will they only allow me to proceed with a cycle if they truly believe there's a decent chance of pregnancy?

Would they take our money if they knew there wasn't a chance in hell it'll work? Is there any compliance/higher governing body regulating these places whereby they have to prove that they've only recommended IVF because they actually think it'll work?

I'd like to think that if our chances didn't look good they'd be honest enough to say 'sorry, the chances of this working are slim, don't waste your money' (or words to that effect).

I hope this doesn't come across as horribly cynical but I felt a lot more prepared following our first cycle (NHS) as I'd had a laparoscopy beforehand in preparation...I've had two miscarriages and an ERPC since then and just feel a bit of a mess

Private clinics need good success rates to attract clients, so it is in their interest to ensure best chance of success. Clinics should have transparent pricing whereby it is clear what proportion you pay if the cycle were to be cancelled at certain stages. It's not in my nature at all but I think you have to just hand yourself over to your ivf consultant and trust that they will do their best for you. Wishing you the best of luck and so sorry for your loss xx

Also, UK clinics are regulated by hfea.

That makes a lot of sense.

Thank you both so much

What pps have said. But also if you ask them what they think your chances of success are, they should tell you. Any reputable clinic will not treat a patient if they don't think there's a chance of pregnancy.

Yes, doctors need to put patients first, else they can lose their licence. They are governed by the general medical council. If a patient lodges a complaints and is investigated by the general medical council, it doesn't look good for their records. Saying that, doesn't mean all doctors do that, which is why you hear about doctors losing their licenses.

I know how you feel, I'm going private and I've questioned everything, google doesn't help either.

I've been seeing a fertility clinic to try to conceive via IUI. During a scan they discovered a polyp in my uterus and they are not allowing me to proceed with treatment until it's been removed (on the NHS).

This is because there is a chance that it could affect implantation and that would not be in my interest to spend the money nor in their interests for their stats.

They have been very kind but also very up-front with me. I don't get the impression that it's all a business at my clinic. It's about helping people to make and add to families.

You just need to be realistic, though. Don't take 'there's a chance of pregnancy' to mean that you'll definitely get pregnant. You're paying for trying not for a guarantee of a baby. I would imagine, that vast majority of clinics would treat you as long as you produce some eggs that can be collected as that basically means that there is a chance.

It is also important to remember that IVF more often fails than it succeeds. With that in mind, don't wind yourself up about it and get cynical or feeling like all doctors care about it extracting money out of you.

Have the causes of your losses been determined?

And re the add-ons, there was that awful Panorama programme on the BBC last year. Watch it if you want but I would take it with a pinch of salt as there was a lot of cheap journalism and sensation-seeking at the expense of presenting things objectively.

PS It's the HFEA that looks over IVF clinics.