We are still receiving letters from the finance team at our clinic asking us to pay for continued freezing of embryos despite the fact that we do not have any embryos left to freeze or any embryos currently frozen. I know that this is probably just an administrative error in their patient records, but it is highly distressing for us to continue to receive these letters when we have no embryos left and our self-funded cycle was unsuccessful.
I have tried calling them but no one can ever get through to the clinic, so I have sent a strongly worded email to them. Obviously we told them this before, but they are STILL sending us letters. My clinic is a big and well known NHS hospital, but since we became self-funded (because we had to, as our borough only covers one IVF cycle on the NHS), they have continually treated us less well as they did when we were NHS patients. Conflicting info, losing our records, asking me when I was pregnant in previous years (I have never been pregnant ever! - it says so in my notes!!!) and completely forgetting what cycle we are having and when. Not answering the phone or my emails etc.
Like infertility isn't difficult enough as it is without all these extra logistical problems!
Sorry for the rant, but I felt like I needed to tell someone!
Written by
KiraJean
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You rant away...I won't bore you with details but The NHS did nothing for us and even fobbed us off for five years and didn't want to know . We went private and haven't looked back. Just wanted to let you know that you are not the only. Pity there is not a health ombudsman for NHS hospitals!!!
Rant away, that sounds awful. Hopefully they respond to you soon xx
I had the midwife ring me for another app when I had Miscarried 6 weeks prev she didn’t know said there’s a gap in the system was very apologetic but was so upset had to hide my tears til lunch time and go home and emotionally breakdown fix my face then go back to work.
Gosh that is awful! I know that feeling of having the rug pulled out from under you while you are at work and having to hide your tears. I am so sorry that happened to you. I hope things are bit better now xxx
Hi, I am totally with you on this - we had a very similar experience with an NHS hospital when we went private for our 4th attempt. I maybe stupidly, naively thought we would get better treatment but no... I had to complain to PALS as I received a letter full of errors and saying I was having a hysteroscopy due to endometrial cells found in my recent smear - this was completely untrue and I’d had normal smear test results always have!! I broke down in tears when I read it. They had venues and times of procedures mixed up and we had to wait 5 months in total before treatment even though we transported our last frozen embryo ourselves in our car (!) from one clinic to the other to save on unnecessary medical courier costs. It was horrendous - the admin, the organisation, think they were understaffed but still it’s no excuse. They should know how anxious and excruciating just having to go through IVF is and should be making it easy not difficult. We’ve had a few failed attempts now. They didn’t even ring me back on blood test result day I had to ring them at 6pm on a Friday night (!!) to find out if I should still be taking my hormone drugs or not and to confirm what I already knew that it was negative . We actually couldn’t believe the service and will be feeding back to the consultant at the follow up. My husband was fuming esp when you’ve paid a lot of money to them and get treated worse than when it’s free!! Good luck to you and do complain to PALS I got an apologetic call from the quality manager the very next day and it helps you feel better if only to save other couples from similar experiences! All the best xx
That’s so insensitive, those records should be updated all the time to ensure no upset is caused.
I get exactly where you’re coming from. We’ve just completed a private cycle and we were treated appallingly compared to our last two NHS rounds. I (rightly or wrongly) expected the level of care to be the same if not a little better than as NHS patients. I guess because the cost of everything was so high I expected to be treated like a queen 😂 completely opposite. I complained but PALS couldn’t help as I was a private patient so said they would pass my comments onto somewhere else (cant remember where now 🤔) but didn’t hear a peep back. But like you messages weren’t being returned, was spoken to not very nice or sensitively, abrupt letters etc I was so shocked. Last thing I needed going through that as its stressful enough.
Hope you manage to sort it out and you’re taken off the mailing list xx
Oh that sounds like absolutely rubbish service. Really poor communication within the company. I think you should send a very detailed email listing everything that is poor about their service. It's too hard and too expensive for them to not be better organised. Much love and good luck x
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Officially PUPO.United with my little one. 
One little embie back onboard 😀😀
A little vent - first frozen cycle 
Sensitive Post - hopefully spreading a little hope
