Choosing a clinic is not always easy, especially if here are quite a few clinics to choose from in your area.
A good place to start is the HFEA website. All the clinics in the UK are listed. You put in your postcode to find clinics near you. Most clinics offer most treatments. You can find information about what they offer on the HFEA website.
If you are having NHS treatment, there may just be one or two clinics you can go to. If you are paying, there is likely to be more choice.
Location
You will be going to the clinic regularly when you have treatment. Think about the journey. How often will you have to visit during treatment? Will you be travelling in the rush hour? How long will it take? Will you need to stay overnight if you have a very long journey? How much will this cost?
Cost
Not all clinics charge the same for treatment. The prices on clinic websites may not include everything you need. Ask the clinic what the total cost is likely to be for you. You may want to look at how much different clinics charge. Don’t feel rushed into making a decision.
Counselling
Fertility treatment isn’t easy and all clinics should offer counselling. Sometimes this is part of your treatment. Sometimes you have to pay extra for this. It is a good sign if a clinic is thinking about your emotional support.
Success rates
You can find the success rates for clinics on the HFEA website. You can also ask the clinic for more recent rates. Sometimes clinics give success rates for certain groups of patients. You can also ask for the success rate for someone of your age in your situation.
Open evenings
The feel of a clinic is important too. What’s right for one person isn’t always right for another. Most clinics have open evenings. This can be a good way to compare different clinics.
Multiple pregnancy rate
The HFEA website also tells you about multiple pregnancy rates. Twins or triplets can seem a nice idea, but this is a risk for the mother and the babies.
Inspection reports
The HFEA sends inspectors to visit clinics. Their reports are on the HFEA website. If the inspectors think a clinic needs to improve, they can give a shorter licence, or even take away a licence. The inspection rating on the website is decided by the length of the licence.
Patient ratings
The patient rating on the HFEA website comes from patients. If you have treatment, you can tell the HFEA about this through the website. The inspectors can read what patients said. They will use this when they visit the clinic to check how things are working.
Additional treatments
Some clinics offer extra treatments to patients. These will make treatment more expensive. Some people want to try them in case they make a difference. There isn’t any proof that most of them will increase your chances of success.
Take time
You can take your time before making a decision to go ahead with treatment. It is an important decision. Feeling confident in your choice will help make the process smoother for you.
You can find more information about choosing a clinic in our Q & A with the HFEA’s Clare Ettinghausen, Director Strategy and Corporate Affairs on our YouTube channel – https://bit.ly/3y24CzQ