Absolutely shocked by my clinics inability to send a treatment plan

[Here4ivfinfo]

My embryos have been frozen for two weeks now. As discussed in my consultation at the end of January my plan was to get my embryos PGTA tested. So far my consultant has drawn up a treatment plan for a full egg collection (wrong because I have 7 embryos already and not once have I suggested that I want to egg collect) and a treatment plan for 9 embryos (also very much wrong).

I've been trying since Thursday to get this second incorrect plan amended and I'm utterly confused as to why it appears that my consultant doesn't know how many embryos I have. Am I being dramatic and expecting too much? I've been on the NHS until this point and they haven't got my treatment plan wrong even ONCE in two years and they are faster to reply to emails too. I'm wondering whether after this next transfer whether to move clinics because I have almost ZERO tolerance for this. I'm so annoyed at this point and have lost trust in my current clinic but am also wondering if this is all clinics??? If anyone has any clinic recommendations in London, I'd appreciate them. I just want a reasonable response rate and to not have to constantly check their work. Am I expecting too much?

I'm also wondering if anyone else who is at my clinic is experiencing similar issues? I don't want to name them here as I think it's against the rules of the forum but if you dm I will.

[Millbanks]

Ugh, this is so frustrating - I'm sorry.

My clinic have been good and bad - they have got prescriptions wrong (which I have had to correct them on) and am currently battling them to get back to me on next steps....

So I don't think you're alone with your clinic being crap. However I would probably tell them you are thinking of moving clinics and get them to buck up!

x

[Here4ivfinfo in reply to Millbanks]

What a shambles this is. I still haven't got any further along. I'm going to ring them again tomorrow.

[Millbanks in reply to Here4ivfinfo]

ugh so frustrating! I would definitely be calling them x

[CyclingAddict]

Hey, I moved from the NHS to private and my experience was fantastic at the private clinic. They were so fast to respond and I was even given my consultant's private number, so I could ring him personally if I had any questions. So I'd say your experience isn't the norm. Unfortunately my clinic isn't in London. But there must be better ones there. Best of luck x

[Wind_mill in reply to CyclingAddict]

hi, I was wondering if you would mind sending your clinic recommendation in a direct msg? Thanks

[Here4ivfinfo in reply to CyclingAddict]

I'm so shocked because this clinic is meant to be really good and I wasn't expecting it to be like this at all. I emailed my consultants PA again yesterday to outline what I needed and have a bit of a moan and I still haven't got a response. I feel like I'm just waiting around but that I can't just wait around because if I do nothing then nothing will happen. At least when it was the NHS I was given a timeline and they stuck to it. Right now I'm confused about what the delay is about and how long I'm expected to just wait for. It's so WEIRD.

[DianeArnold]

Hi. So sorry to read all this. Pne for your clinic manager to sort out i think. Any clinic recommendations, please send by PM/DM so as not to advertise. Thanks. Diane

[ChocoMuffin]

Ugh, this sounds so frustrating! Sorry you’re having to deal with this on top of everything else!

With our previous clinic in SW London (NHS but then we self-funded the 2nd cycle) we had a horrible experience. I won’t go into all the details here but we never got anything in writing - it was all over the phone/face to face and then various pieces of paper would be given to us about our treatment plan but “in chunks, to not overwhelm us” (their words, not ours). I was never able to speak to a consultant over the phone despite me asking and it was always the nurse who would return my call. What tipped us over the edge was receiving an email demanding a £450 cancellation fee for a cancelled FET when it had been their fault it got cancelled. We made a HUGE complaint refusing to pay and eventually they agreed we were right and apologised. They even set out all the changes they’ve made to the practice following our complaint…🙄 They’ve never heard from us again.

Whilst my case is extreme, I have read and heard of some pretty poor practice amongst some UK clinics unfortunately. If you feel it’s worth it, I would suggest you make a complaint - the clinic should have a Quality Manager that should look into it!. If you’ve lost trust in them as you say, then it’s worth changing clinics (this is what we did, and it was the best decision for us).

All the best 😊

[Here4ivfinfo in reply to ChocoMuffin]

Thanks for taking the time to respond. The more that time goes on the more angry I'm starting to feel about it. I'm even considering going into the clinic and refusing to leave without an accurate treatment plan. I'll be getting myself arrested 😂

[Anisha29]

I recommend drafting a email of complaint (use those words as they will have some sort of complaint policy which they will need to follow if you label it a 'complaint').

In that email state you will forward the details of this complaint to the HFEA if this is not resolved with the next 5 days. It might just get their attention.

[Here4ivfinfo in reply to Anisha29]

This is a really good idea. Thank you very much!

[Isittoolate]

My clinic are really slow and I am constantly chasing them to hurry things along. They have no sense of urgency and seem to lack the understanding that time isn't on our side. I only stick with them as they are close by.

[Here4ivfinfo in reply to Isittoolate]

I'm a bit stuck because the clinic I am at is meant to be good and I don't know if changing would just prolong everything and not make a difference, I'm trying to work out if there's a clinic that is almost certainly good.

[LRed]

Sorry that your clinic sounds rubbish. I had similar experience. I moved from NHS to a well-known private clinic in central London.

They were was like a cold-blooded factory and treated me worse than a number. My consultant was arrogant and rude. Their team were highly disorganised and made multiple mistakes with my treatments. And then they made a traumatic medical mistake in my treatment. There was not a word of apology and not a penny of refund. When things seem to be going smoothly, everyone at the clinic may appear normal. But as soon as something goes wrong, you will see the ugliest faces and hear the harshest voices.

I regret I didn't leave them and find another clinic sooner. My private rounds had much worse outcome than my NHS round in terms of number of eggs collected and fertilised, and the people at NHS treated me much more nicely!

I can give you the name in DM. I hope you find a much better clinic x

[Here4ivfinfo in reply to LRed]

Yep, we're at the same clinic. Just went to message you to ask and we've spoken before and yep, same clinic, similar experience. NOOOOOOOOO!

[LRed in reply to Here4ivfinfo]

Wow. This is scary. More people should know the name of this clinic and avoid them by all means...

[Here4ivfinfo in reply to LRed]

I think when you first messaged me I thought you were a bit of an unlucky one off to be honest and now I am thinking "how many other people are in the same position as me?" Surely it's not just the two of us.

[Christianbaby]

You’re definitely not expecting too much. A clinic should at least have the basics of your treatment right and respond in a timely manner. If you’ve already lost trust, it might be worth looking into other options. IVF is stressful enough without having to chase them to do their job properly. Good luck. x