# Best Private Clinics UK v Abroad? success rate, level of service.. COST!



## legleg (Jul 14, 2015)

Hi,

I have just found that my NHS IVF has failed. Utterly gutted, I'm brushing myself down and looking to have one more go.

Can anyone help and advise whether there are some cost effective options in the UK or really good ones abroad? I hear prague is the best for clinics, but I have no idea where to start.

Any help and advice would be great. I've read a few threads but am stuck.

Thank you x


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## daisyg (Jan 7, 2004)

Hi Legleg,

I guess it depends on a number of factors. Firstly, I assume you are using your own eggs and are in a couple? Your age and hormone profile will be the best guidance as to whether you need a clinic which specialises in older women and has a good success rate. I personally would stay in the UK if you can as clinics and success rates are regulated.

One of the other options I chose was to go to the USA. I know that Shady Grove do a package deal which may be cost effective for you. There is a board for this clinic on FF.

Why did your NHS cycle fail? I think that is a very important factor as before cycling again, I would have a look at the most common reasons for ivf failure and perhaps have some testing? You may want to find a clinic that will support you with that - in the UK that would be ARGC and the Lister as two of the top in the UK with the highest success rates. I would recommend having a look at the HFEA clinic search facility on their website. There are boards for ARGC and Lister on FF.

http://guide.hfea.gov.uk/guide/

Abroad - again others will have greater knowledge than I, but top clinics are IVI clinics in Spain, IM Spain, Serum, Athens, Reprofit CR etc. I would go onto their websites and look at their success rates, but again stats can be hard to really interpret. Not sure really about their success rates with own eggs so I would investigate these.

Best of luck,

Daisy x
/links


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## Blondie71 (Oct 26, 2011)

Hi legleg sorry your cycle didn't work I know how crushing that can feel   I had success at Serum in Athens with own egg tx, cost was 7k total (meds, flights & hotel for 2 weeks plus IVF and freezing costs) success is in my siggy   as for service it's 2nd to none tbh and I totally recommend.

Do you know why cycle hasn't worked, it might be worth getting a few basic tests before shelling out a small fortune again, I had level 1 immunes & thyroid tests, mine showed up NK cells were raised and I subsequently found out I had tubal fluid which blocked implantation and I had tubes removed, so it is worth checking out the basics before cycling again x


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## mogscat (Aug 6, 2014)

Hi legleg

Sorry to hear your NHS cycle was not successful.

As Daisy says, HFEA has lots of data if you want to compare UK clinics.

If you decide to go overseas, there are various quality indicators you might want to look out for. Not all clinics meet these quality standards so read their websites really carefully! My other tip would be, find out the qualifications of the medical staff and embryologists. If they aren't listed on the website, ask them direct. Don't assume they are all doctors or whatever. Plenty of clinics websites list their medical staff's qualifications, where they studied, where they have worked etc.

*ISO 9001 2008 *certification is basically an international quality standard used by many different industries to show that they adhere to relevant regulations and meet customer satisfaction requirements http://www.fertilityclinicsabroad.com/egg-donation-abroad-europe/iso-accreditation-ivf-clinics-abroad/ http://www.iso.org/iso/home/store/catalogue_tc/catalogue_detail.htm?csnumber=46486

It is not compulsory for clinics to have ISO so I think it's a good sign if the clinic makes the effort to achieve this.

If you think that the ISO standards are not being met then you can complain to them: http://www.iso.org/iso/home/standards/certification/complaints.htm

There are also clinics that are OHSS-free, this is another thing you can check for if this is important to you.

*ESHRE* is the European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology. http://www.eshre.eu/ which can terminate membership if their standards are violated. Plenty of clinics have staff who belong to this, it should be on their websites or you can ask them. If they don't belong to it, why not?

Hope this is useful and not just stating the obvious! I wish I had known about these things when I started looking. Good luck with your search and all the very best with your future treatment.
x
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## legleg (Jul 14, 2015)

Wow thank you daisyg, blondie and mogscats; definite food for thought. 

Our budget is ideally between £2-4k so couldn't really stretch as far as the £7. 

I had thought of abroad basically due to cost factor. Our local private clinic is £4k and it would be the same guys who did the nhs one, feel a fresh start elsewhere, fresh eyes etc..

Thank you x


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## CrazyHorse (May 8, 2014)

Hi, legleg, I am currently 24 weeks pregnant from an OE mild IVF cycle with Reprofit in Czech Republic (in Brno, which is a bit more of a pain travel-wise than Prague, but cheaper accommodation usually). We spent approx. £3,000 all in, incl. travel, accommodation, and food for me and DH, drugs, non-included blood tests at Reprofit for clotting disorders and immune markers, a follicle tracking scan in the UK, and intralipids administration at Reprofit and again back home in UK. We did not use any donor gametes or have PGD performed, either of which would have increased the cost.

Overall, I was happy with the clinic -- we did the vast majority of our communication via e-mail with one of their English-speaking coordinators on staff (Eva Kopecna). Getting hold of anyone by phone for questions about meds was difficult, so be aware of that and try to sort things ahead of time via e-mail where possible, if you go there. All the doctors I spoke with had good English skills and seemed quite knowledgeable; if you have done a bunch of your own research and have reasoned out what protocol you'd like to try next, they are very open to listening. They'll also do a free, no-obligation 1-hour Skype consult for you with one of their doctors; you don't pay until you go there for EC / ET. I get the impression that their embryologists are very good, as I have heard tales from ladies that they don't charge you if there's nothing to transfer back; I don't know if that's still true, but they wouldn't offer that if their embryology lab wasn't top notch. Anyway, just thought I would share my experience as I was reasonably happy with them.

If you are interested in clinics abroad, I'd recommend lurking on the current cyclers threads for a bunch of different ones so that you can get a feel for how they operate.


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## mogscat (Aug 6, 2014)

hi again
Some clinics will do a free consultation by phone or Skype, this might be a good way for you to compare their views on the different treatments they would recommend and the approach they take.  I wish I'd taken advantage of this and done a few phone/skype consults before visiting a clinic, it would have saved me £100s!  

Probably stating the obvious again here but check out what the prices include when comparing clinics.  For example, some include freezing and ICSI in their prices, others add these costs as extras. 

Generally i think Czech and Greek clinics are less expensive than Spain but I don't think there's all that much in it.  

Most people, me included, will probably recommend their current clinic, we're all biased!  

Good luck with your search
x


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## legleg (Jul 14, 2015)

Thank you, just spoke with my clinic and they are saying that my hcg levels are low, so was surprised they got 3 eggs out of me. But they are so busy can't even get an appointment with specialist till October! I can't have another year of waiting.

Have seen Prague fertility centre say the specialise in older women so will give them a call x


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## legleg (Jul 14, 2015)

Well ladies looks like I'm going with Reprofit in CZ, they have asked for some blood tests and ultrasound to be done, I assume I book in with my doctor for the bloods but have no idea how or where I get the vag ultrasound done?


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## CrazyHorse (May 8, 2014)

Hi, legleg, you should probably take a look at this thread for recommendations on where to have blood work, scans, and prescriptions handled in the UK: http://www.fertilityfriends.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=290729.390

Your NHS GP may or may not do some of the blood work for you -- it's worth asking, but be prepared to have them done privately.

Where are you located? There are lots of private ultrasound providers across the country where you can get scans done. You don't need a physician's referral, you just ring them up, tell them what you need, and book it in.


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## legleg (Jul 14, 2015)

Thank you Crazy Horse; Reprofit do seem switched on compared to others I've been in contact with via email.

Managed to speak to my doctor over the phone yesterday, they are happy to do the blood tests FOC but suggested to wait until my next period, as only just coming on after the fail IVF may effect the results. He is also going to see ref the Vag scan.  Read an interesting cost comparison on the drugs.. turns out asda may be a winner although I need to read further on that front. 

I've been offered a chat with their consultant, so am in the process of organising that. One thing I am astonished with, is our NHS clinic. We have to wait 40days to get our files released and £50. And to top it off, the nurse from the NHS clinic we used called my husband at 4pm yesterday, and said (and I'm not paraphrasing) 'yeah, well, I have been talking to Dr x.x.x.x.. and we think it's a lost cause with your own eggs, you should get a donar' very matter of fact and only 3 days after we found out it had failed. He was so angry, it just pushed us more to go to CZ rather than UK.  We are based down in west cornwall, but feel that there is such a poor attitude by some (not all) of the clinic nurses down here.

I am now ready for one more go, the last go as far as i'm concerned.

I may be in contact again to pick your brains further guys!


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## daisyg (Jan 7, 2004)

Legleg,

Please do complain to the HFEA about your treatment.  That is unacceptable treatment.  It is really unethical for a nurse to decide what treatment is necessary let alone over the phone in that manner.  It is only by patients like you informing the HFEA that things will improve.  They should not behave like that.

Best of luck,
Daisyxxx


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## Blondie71 (Oct 26, 2011)

miamiamo said:


> Hi girls, I want to recommend Inivcta clinics in Poland, as I know some girls who are happy mums now and had treatment in that clinics. In 2015 Invicta has been named the best fertlity clinic in Poland (by the national newspaper). Internationally certified, also US certifications and recommendations, ESHE member, ISO and a top quality of PGD/PGD NGS (some specialist even say European or world leading position in PGD NGS). Clinic is experienced with international patients with own 3-visit programme, all inclusive ivf and ivf pgd/ngs programmes with a single payment, English speaking doctors and staff. You will find all detailed info and prices (starting from 1 500 Euro) in the website. A clinic offers also eggs freezing, advanced PGD NGS 360 and other. A clinic has one of the highest success rate in Poland and probably in Europe. Very popular among girls from Scandinavian countries, Germany and Russia. Main clinics are based in Gdansk and Warsaw, with low cost connections, close to airports. Gdansk is nice, seaside city with clean air and a lot of attractions, great holiday destinations. Warsaw- a capital of Poland, with great museums, parks and shopping.
> [/qu
> 
> for any solo mums Poland (& Czech Rep) don't treat single women anymore but there are plenty of other countries that do, Greece, Cyprus, UK etc


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