# Robert Winston launching an online Q&A for fertility patients



## misskitten (Oct 31, 2010)

Robert Winston is setting up an online advice service for fertility patients:

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/feb/21/robert-winston-ivf-questions-reproductive-health?CMP=twt_fd


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## Fx (Feb 28, 2012)

Thanks for highlighting this.
I can't wait for the online forum to open. Might start composing my email now!


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## urbangirl (Jul 28, 2010)

This is great, he's such an important figure, but they mention here his outspoken criticism of the ridiculously high price of IVF without adding that it was a bit rich of him to criticise the excessive charges. The following is an old piece from the Huffington Post (http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2011/12/26/lord-winston-ivf-pioneer-scandal-costs_n_1169762.html)
'Lord Winston, who is a Labour peer and former head of the NHS IVF clinic at Hammersmith Hospital, told the newspaper: "My view is that both NHS and private clinics are charging much more than the cost of delivering the treatment."
He branded the current fees "pure exploitation", adding: "The NHS is basing its fees not on what it costs but on what it thinks the market will bear."
Addressing the criticism, Simon Fishel, managing director of private IVF provider Care Fertility, said *Lord Winston's own private practice at the Royal Masonic Hospital in the 1990s "charged among the highest prices".*In response, Lord Winston told the Independent all money raised from his private work had gone to charity and to treating NHS patients.'

As a private IVF client I don't think he should have used his private patients as cash cows to milk for charity or to treat his NHS patients, plenty of whom may well have been better off than his private patients. That's my wee rant over!


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## BroodyChick (Nov 30, 2009)

Almost posted the same link, then I saw your thread


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## goldbunny (Mar 26, 2012)

that guardian article (annoyingly, like almost every other 'Ivf' picture) shows an image of icsi and claims it is ivf - it even SAYS 'an egg being injected during the ivf process' why are they so ignorant? it's no wonder people are confused because the media make it that way.


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## Sheilaweb (Mar 21, 2006)

I love Robert Winston, a true hero of mine - whether or not his private practices (currently or in the past) have milked a little extra.... I can't knock his determination to help childless couples, and his ongoing commitment to strive to find ways to improve the chances of success.  I've had the deepest honour to meet this wonderful and very unassuming and modest gentleman.

Without Robert Winston, Robert Edward, Patrick Steptoe and many others I would never have achieved the 'simple' dream of becoming a Mother.  I will forever be indebted to these pioneers.  And soo glad this free of charge service is being offered.
But yes, I fully agree, the media do nothing to help people wade through the minefield known as fertility treatment. 

Sheila


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## NatW (Aug 12, 2013)

Goldbunny, I totally agree! The amount of times I have to explain to people that what is featured in the news is not IVF, but ICSI! It's such a common misconception, and the ICSI image is probably visually more appealing to get the story across rather than just an egg in a petri dish!


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