# Monitoring in the UK - Are you being ripped off ?



## Jennifer

Hi everyone

Having read a few posts and chatting with a few FFs recently it seems like the UK clinics are cottoning on to the fact that they can squeeze yet more cash out of us even though we are not using their clinics for tx. Scan prices which used to be reasonable are now exorbitant and some clinics are charging £500 for 'admin fees' on top of charging for scans etc.

Some clinics I am aware of have increased their prices massively in the last few months for those who have chosen to use clinics abroad and it seems pretty unreasonable to me.

Just wondered what others think...


----------



## safarigirl

Eeeeeek!

Perhaps we could start adding names of clinics to this thread that do scans for reasonable rates so that we can build up a database of that sort of info?

There is no way i am paying £500 for a scan!  Its the principle!


----------



## Nats

I agree.....things need to be done before they go too far, although they have already done this!....

I know a clinic that charges £500 admin and then £375 for 2 scans and contact with the foreign clinic!

Im all for it!

Natsxxx

Go Jennifer Go!


----------



## hola69

Hi Girls,

I was totally unaware of this..Ive just had my review at care and am probaly going to spain for egg donor..didnt know if you are monitored here they were the costs - wow!   Thanks for letting me know I will check with care (manchester) what their costs are..

Love Lesley xx


----------



## Grumpygirl

We've just been to our local clinic (won't mention names yet) and while they were very friendly and nice , not to mention local  , they wanted £2000 for monitoring of a dummy cycle & a real cycle, NOT including drugs!  We asked at the clinic in Greece what they would charge and they said it was included in the amount we're already paying, we just have to get there.  So, while it's a hassle to go there just for scans we're saving £2000. No brainer, really.  

We couldn't believe how much they're charging, also they can't do it when we wanted it as the dummy cycle would need to be started just after Xmas and they're too busy ...

We haven't let them know what we're doing yet and need to but £2000 is such a long way towards paying for a 2nd cycle if necessary there's no way we'll put off tx to suit their timescale and pay through the nose for the privelege.

Interesting thread....
Lisa


----------



## casey

I am being momitored by CARE in Manchester and the cost is £120 per scan - they didn't mention admin costs and were happy to fax results over to IM - they are also going to do blood test - if this is a BFP (please please ) then I will have my f6 week scan at Care then go to my Gp (who is lovely) and request a referral to local maternity hospital and have scans done there for free 

caseyxx


----------



## Eggsey

Hi girls,
I was charged £100 by Bath Assisted Conception Centre for my scan last week after Bristol Centre for Reproductive Medicine refused to scan me at all because I'm having treatment abroad.  I'm going to get my GP to do my blood test and if if get a BFP I'm going to ask him to refer me to the local Early Pregnancy Unit for a scan to check how many are in there.
Love to you all, Eggsey xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


----------



## roze

Further to my own experience, I have written to the Lister to ask them at least for clarification as to what you get or dont get for the £800. The problem so far is inconsistency. I know some people have paid £200 a few months ago believing this was a one off admin charge, and are now being told to pay £800.  I will update as necessary. 

I don't blame clinics for wanting to cover their costs, however charges must be reasonable and consistent and not reek of exploitation. To have three scans at the Lister would cost £360. To have blood tests pre ET would be £60. They are charging about another £400 on top for admin, ie a 100% mark up. They do monitored IUI cycles including transfer for £550. I would have thought an equivalent fee for abroadie ET to be a reasonable compromise. I think they just want to put people off.

I have had a scan today at the ACU of UCH in Euston. They were wonderful. The scans however are £200 apiece for abroadies so still quite pricey, but at least I can pay for them as I go. I confirmed with them that they are very happy to treat abroadies and this is a large part of their business. For this £200 you get the scan done by a gynacologist who gives you a consultation at the same time. This was only possible as I had had  a consultation with them a few years ago, hence they had my file. The clinic is a dump but they are moving soon to Kings Cross. I have always found the staff there exceptionally professional and friendly.

I have also found the Ultrasound Diagnostic Centre in Harley Street who do scans for £120. I think this is a 'scan and go' basis, but they want a referral letter .
I think they will take emails and faxes from clinics abroad as the referral , as their only concern is that the person is under a consultant- doesn't  matter where they are based.  I will check them out and post when I know more.

I think simply that some clinics do not want to deal with abroadies as they have little potential to make any income out of them. Others do not have this pressure- yet.
I will be voting with my feet.....

love

roze xxxx


----------



## doodle

I can't believe what I'm reading. Ladies, I'm so sorry about the cost of basic scans and treatments. It must be a terrible burdon....
I am thanking my lucky stars that I happen to be living in Cairo. Here, you can see a specialist (who has normally just returned from the UK, or at least has a long history of work in and out of UK) when you want to. They even give you their mobile number. On my last clomid cycle (you buy clomid at the chemist for £2) I had three scans (£36) three shots of FSH (£20) and a shot of HCG (£12) including consultations. I wouldn't have been able to afford it back in the UK from what I'm reading. I also feel in control and can ask for extra scans and blood tests if and when I want to. 
Perhaps people should consider coming here for treatment? The cost of living is fairly cheap. 
Doodle x


----------



## cesca

hi.. We have just had an appointment recently with our local clinic to discuss DE in Spain. They are very willing to help us but did mention charging £800. I was a little flabergasted as they won't have to do that much and thought that when we do eventually decide what to do we will see if this price is negotiable, as their link with Ceram in Spain isn't quite set up.    
£800 on top of what we will have to pay for tx  in Spain, plus flights, accomadation etc, I think they are having a laugh!


----------



## hola69

Hi, 

just a thought but can you not have the majority of tests done at Ceram when you visit and then just have you womb lining scan in the UK? will this not cut the cost?

Thanks

Lesley xx



cesca said:


> hi.. We have just had an appointment recently with our local clinic to discuss DE in Spain. They are very willing to help us but did mention charging £800. I was a little flabergasted as they won't have to do that much and thought that when we do eventually decide what to do we will see if this price is negotiable, as their link with Ceram in Spain isn't quite set up.
> £800 on top of what we will have to pay for tx in Spain, plus flights, accomadation etc, I think they are having a laugh!


----------



## Lobs

Hi
Ive posted before about anyone who is having treatment in St Albans area but I'll happily say it again. Verulam Clinic in St Albans literally bent over backwards to help me with scans, blood tests etc. They were excellent & charged £100 for the 1st scan then £75 for every scan after.They realised that I didnt want work to know so arranged scans around times I could fit in. They also emailed all the results over to Spain at no extra cost. They helped me tremendously with blood tests, arranging couriers so I could get results the same day etc. You pay a little bit more but its well worth it if time is precious. For estrodial blood tests I would also recommend The London Fertlity Clinic in London who charge £26 & you can have your blood tests from 8am in the morning & although they wont fax your results - you can phone for the results on the same day.  
I hope this helps - & I would like to say that I found out all this info from FF in the first place! 
Good luck everyone who is going for treatment.
Love Lobs
x


----------



## cazandant

Wow!!!! Are we all going to move to Cairo now I'm so sad to read all these emails... 

I think we have been so lucky up here in the midlands.... Midland Fertility Services in Aldridge used to cost about £80 each plus about £50 for each blood test.  However, we found the travelling through Birmingham for a 20 minute appointment was a bit too stressful, so this time we rang around to find a solution locally...

We've been so lucky  after ringing about 10 hospitals and clinics with daft prices, I was finally recommended to try and a new clinic called Ultrascan based in Banbury and Leamington Spa who will do a package of 6 scans for £300.....£50 each - is this the best (The contact number is 01295 275278 in Banbury).  You need a referral which I got from my GP, but they might take them from abroad??

I've also discovered that the Nuffield Hospital in Leamington Spa charge £36 approx for each oestrodial blood test, and I've only needed to have 2 so far on this tx... Again, I had to get blood test forms from my GP to pass on to them each time.

I also found a great contact for some of the drugs on this website - Ali's Chemist in London who did a great deal and it's probably saved me another £100 ... 

So hope this info. might help someone reading this site - let me know how you get on

Love, Caroline xx


----------



## Paxi

Now I know we're being ripped off...  We've paid well over  £1000.00 for our drugs, scans and link to Ceram - ironic as I had already emailed Ruth through these boards...    I'd better not disclose where, all I can say is that it seems a lot, and when you add in all the other costs...  We've also had 4 unsuccessful IVF - which we paid for - and feel at the moment that if our treatment doesn't work then we will do it again, although I'm finding the wait for a donor hard as I'm now 44, and we started to put this in motion in June!  
Actually, while I'm ranting, I wasn't happy with the way our forms were filled in either - for starters, both my husband and I are small framed, yet the doctor described us both as medium build - and I noticed she got my husband's weight wrong and I'm not sure if it was corrected....    etc, etc, etc.  Sorry, you catch me tired and fed up and ready to be unreasonable.  However, I am quite capable of filling in a form...    Kitty


----------



## safarigirl

Just to add to this information - I have phoned the London Fertility Clinic (112A Harley Street) to enquire about scans and oestriadial blood tests as suggested by Lobs (thank you !!!) - they have said it is no problem, no letter needed to do scan or blood tests.  The cost of the blood  test is £26 - if a blood test is needed on a saturday morning they ask that you are there before 12.00 in the morning.
The price of the scan (to check womb thickness is £80).  Need to book for a scan a few days in advance as they get quite booked up - they said cant do it on the day always if requested.

I also spoke to HCA Laboratories on Harley street (020 7486 5091) and they will do the oestrial blood test if they have a name and number of a doctor - can be a GP and they then fax the results to them


----------



## KEB

Hi Meerkat

Have you tried talking to Caroline, the head nurse at the Woking Nuffield. She told me, a few weeks ago, that they would try to fit me in for scans and blood tests for treatment abroad if they weren't too busy with current patients - which I thought was fair enough. I'm planning to book appointments only a couple of days in advance so that they know whether they have free slots available which are unlikley to be used by their current patients. Seems crazy that the nursing staff aren't being helpful when your consultant actually suggested Spain to you. Hope you can get this sorted.

Good luck.

K


----------



## Fidget

Hi Meerkat,

you could also try St Georges house clinic in raynes park straight up the A3, I am sure they would be able to help sweetie, Pm me if you need any details..

Debs
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


----------



## Penelope Positive

Thats really interesting. I had three failed IVF's at Woking but they couldnt be more helpful. They didnt charge me at all for the help filling in the Ceram forms. They charged me normal rates for the extra blood tests we needed and have indicated that scans etc wouldnt be a problem and they will support me wholeheartedly. Might be worth me checking with them reading this



KEB said:


> Hi Meerkat
> 
> Have you tried talking to Caroline, the head nurse at the Woking Nuffield. She told me, a few weeks ago, that they would try to fit me in for scans and blood tests for treatment abroad if they weren't too busy with current patients - which I thought was fair enough. I'm planning to book appointments only a couple of days in advance so that they know whether they have free slots available which are unlikley to be used by their current patients. Seems crazy that the nursing staff aren't being helpful when your consultant actually suggested Spain to you. Hope you can get this sorted. If not I have been told of another clinic in Twyford, Berkshire which will do scans and blood tests - not sure where you are in Surrey so it might be too far for you.
> 
> Good luck.
> 
> K


----------



## Penelope Positive

Hi all, have just got a hot off the press update from Woking which they are happy with me to share with you all.

So, the difficulty with Nuffield is that they have been inundated with scan requests from people who are not having any treatment there and like me are going abroad.  The majority of these are not even previous Nuffield patients and they just cant cope with the demand so they now sadly have to refuse assistance to anyone who is not having treatment there.  Their decision was based mainly on the reason that they would be unable to offer a reasonable service to those who are being treated their if they were to extend their facilities to accomodate others.

I can totally understand this and I had a lovely chat with the manager there who was very apologetic and understanding.  She wishes us all well and is really sorry that they cannot help more people but they are a small clinic and just could not cope.

Its difficult for those of us who need assistance in the UK and Nuffield did mention some clinics in London that do offer this service but needs some investigation.

Hope this is of some help. Nuffield have always been fantastic with me and they are really sorry that they cannot help.

Pen


----------



## Penelope Positive

I agree its a shame about Woking but they say they are determined to stay a small clinic and cannot afford the time to scan others who are not being treated there.

Maybe they will have a change of heart at some point in the future and change their policy?

Maybe we should all club together and buy a mobile unit we could drive around to everyone  
Could make a fortune and help a lot of people out - gap in the market me thinks  

Pen


----------



## hola69

Hi ,

just though id post something positive..I am only being charged £10.00 for a prolactin blood test at my old clinic care in manchester and they offered to do it the same day I rang. They also have no problem at all monitring me, so I was very pleasantly surprised.

Thanks

Lesley xx


----------

