Choosing a clinic - location or customer service??

[Rosey2020]

I still can’t decide what clinic to go to! The best option in terms of the best success rates and reputation/customer service is 1.5 hours drive away (so 3 hours both ways). I’d discounted it thinking it was too far (I’m a nervous driver) and would be disruptive to work but I’ve now heard some less favourable things about the clinic closer to me I was thinking to go to. Does anyone on here work full time and travel this kind of time for treatment? And am I right in thinking it’s only 6ish times per cycle that I would need to visit the clinic? The closer clinic also has good stats but seems less customer focused/people report feeling like a number. How much does this matter though if the treatment works? Any experience/advice on this would be much appreciated!

[Zebedee1971]

We chose a clinic because it was close to us. Major mistake. Had a really awful experience. My advice (based only on my own experience) is to choose an NHS clinic with good reviews/reputation but that also does private. The reason being that during egg collection you can be put under general anaesthetic if you're in NHS clinic, independent private clinics can only do local... I had local anaesthetic and started to come round during the procedure, so my egg collection was cancelled midway through the procedure. Had it been nhs, I would have been put further under. Obviously, this is rare, but my care under NHS was second to none. If you can't go with NHS clinic, 100% go with results/reputation. Under no circumstances choose one that is local for convenience. It honestly does make such a difference and the variety in quality is so big. I learnt the hard way. Do your research, choose carefully xx

[Orla9298 in reply to Zebedee1971]

Hey rosey, I would go with the best feedback and results, even if it’s further away. I did 2 rounds with my local nhs clinic that also does private and their customer service was awful, and the treatment wasn’t great either - no bloods at all during stims, no one knew who I was, I never saw the same nurse or consultant.

I then went private further away and couldn’t have been happier.

I have a senior management job and found a 1hr drive each way fine - just sometimes I had to take a half or full day holiday. It depends on whether you can get an early appointment or whether it’s bang in the middle of your day. But you only end up visiting 3 to 4 times really - hopefully a baseline scan in the first few days, then either one or two stims scans, then for egg collection. Then I guess another for embryo transfer if you’re doing a fresh transfer. My private clinic did sedation for transfer as standard.

I think it can also depend on what issues you are facing as to what clinic is best. Xx

[KiboXX in reply to Orla9298]

Completely agree with Orla. I did three rounds at a nhs/private clinic because it was near me and it was awful, all the same issues she’s mentioned. We moved to a smaller private clinic in London, I had to get the train in for appointments but it was completely manageable and I had a much better experience and more successful treatment there xx

[Rosey2020 in reply to Zebedee1971]

Thanks for sharing your experience Zebedee1971. I like that you clearly say not to choose the clinic on location! The closest it pretty good, but the further one is better. xx

[Daffodils1]

Hi Rosey

It is important to consider what is less stressful for you both in the service and distance. You need to feel comfortable, that you can ask questions and are listened to, that the treatment you get is individual to you. Can someone else drive you?

I’m currently an hour and half away from my clinic. I’m using donor eggs so the number of appointments is lower. If I was still using my own eggs I would have found consultant appointments, egg collection and transfer at that distance fine. I may have struggled if I’d had a 3 hour round trip for scans monitoring follicles with working. I was a poor responder to the meds and each round had to have stimms for extra days with more scans so may have had a week where I had to go 3 times.

You could just take holiday, as plenty of people cope with treatment abroad.

That said I would travel whatever distance necessary to get my dream.

It can be frustrating that you have to pay for the initial consultation, but remember if it doesn’t feel right for you at that initial appointment you can choose to use the other option.

[Rosey2020 in reply to Daffodils1]

Thanks for your reply Daffodils1. Your point about holiday is so obvious and yet for some reason I didn't think about it until you said it! I have quite a bit of holiday to carry over this year (thanks I guess Covid?!) so even if it did turn out to be more appointments I could cover it. I also liked your point about travelling whatever distance to get your dream. I'm quite anxious anyway and this whole thing is nerve wracking, but I'm not going to let a longer drive scare me off something I want so bad! xx

[Ivfgotadream]

Remember that often review sites are skewed as people are more likely to post a negative review than a good one

Personally it would depend on your work? Will you be taking those days as annual leave as your basically going to be spending the entire day in your car/at the clinic?

I chose a clinic which fitted around work so was close to home/work. I found it much less stressful. I ended up needing 5 rounds in 18 months and my employer wouldnt have been happy at the disruption if I’d needed a full day off every other day not to mention egg collection and transfer

[Rosey2020 in reply to Ivfgotadream]

Great name Ivfgotadream! Thanks for your reply. Good point about people being more likely to leave negative reviews!

I checked with my boss after posting as the last time I had spoken to her about it I was all for going to the nearest place until I heard some bad things. I explained that I had doubts and she said to choose the best clinic and we could fit stuff around it! I really didnt think work would be that understanding. I will have to work a lot of the time back but I'm happy to work weekends or whatever really. Now I'm sure that's going to be easier said than done, but hopefully I will know with enough notice to rearrange meetings and things in advance. I've also got to hope she stays being my boss (we're undergoing a restructure) for a good while!!

[Hidden]

Have you been to visit the clinics? I had the option of one a 15 min drive away, one a 45min drive away or one about an hour and a half by train. The closest and furthest one had great reviews and offered all the latest tests etc.. and were really modern. The one 45 mins from me had some good some bad reviews (I agree with IVFgotadream people tend to post negative reviews more often than positive reviews for example I am super happy with my clinic but have never reviewed them, but if I was angry I am sure I would have)... anyway we then went and visited all the clinics and actually the one 45 mins drive felt so much nicer and more friendly and less clinical than the other two and that sold it to us.

I am relieved I chose it because you do need the support of the staff when you are going through cycles (especially if you end up doing more than one).. its nice to be in a friendly supportive environment. I was pleased I chose driving as I wouldn't have wanted to get trains and tubes after EC as I had problems and was in a lot of pain, and also I could sneak there and back during 'working from home' and no-one knew at all.

I think you get a feel for clinics so I would definitely recommend visiting. Good luck xx

[Rosey2020 in reply to Hidden]

Hi Daisy1245. Thanks for your advice about customer service and it being most important when things don't go to plan. I've no idea really how things will go so this is an important factor to consider! xx

[Rosey2020 in reply to Rosey2020]

Sorry, I replied to the wrong post there Daisy1245! Although your post did seem to agree that customer service/feeling supportive is important! I meant to say we've attended virtual events at all the clinics we were considering, but only physically been to the one where we had the assessment tests. Because of covid19 you can't go and have a nose around anymore! It wasn't particularly clinical. The people seemed nice and they are always nice when I phone. It would have been nice to visit the others to get a better feel for them too really. xx

[Goldie24]

I’d say the customer service really does matter sometimes. My clinic has the best stats around here and actually among the top in the country but when things got really complicated I really needed that extra support and understanding and not just to have it quoted back to me how many embryos I had in the freezer. They did a lot better with another set of complications and one nurse was fabulous and really gave me what I needed that time round but I’d already lost quite a lot of faith and trust. I think being treated like a number is ok if everything is straight forward but if things take an unexpected turn it isn’t great xx

[Rosey2020 in reply to Goldie24]

Hi Goldie24. Thanks for your advice about customer service and it being most important when things don't go to plan. I've no idea really how things will go so this is an important factor to consider! xx

[Rosey2020]

Sorry for the late replies and thank you so much for all your opinions! It really did help me to make a decision that I'm 99% happy (I don't know how I could ever be 100% sure) with! And I'm not changing my mind again! I've just in the process of completing all the paperwork...

Wishing you all the very best with your fertility journey's!! xxx