How to find the right IVF clinic for you

23rd January 2013 in Advice

This information was correct at the time of publishing. It may not reflect our current practices, prices or regulations.

If you’re hoping to have a baby through infertility treatment such as IVF, it can be hard to decide which fertility clinic is the right one to choose for your treatment.

Whether you are aiming to secure treatment via the NHS, or are researching private IVF clinics in the North West, it can be difficult to decide which clinic is right for you when you are bombarded with success rates, brochures and fees to navigate and understand.

So what points should you consider?

Results:Some clinics only choose publish selected success rates on their websites, for which they have the best results. But these figures may not be relevant to you – they could be for women who are significantly younger, or for a specific type of treatment. It’s important that you get clinic results that are relevant to your age group so you can see a true picture. Remember all licensed clinics have to report their statistics (pregnancy and live birth rates) to the HFEA so check here to get the official report. The figures should always be treated as an indication only of  how successful the clinic is. Don’t be tempted to go for the one with the highest figures, it doesn’t give any kind of guarantee of success – you will have your own individual circumstances and history.

Pregnancy rates:A clinic’s pregnancy rate is not the same as live birth rate. Make sure you find out how many babies have actually been born via the clinic’s treatment. At Manchester Fertility we only record pregnancy rates once a heartbeat has been detected through ultrasound.

Fees:Many  clinics will happily tell you what a typical cycle of IVF costs, but beware if one clinic seems much cheaper than others. This will mostly be because they won’t include all the associated costs you have to pay, such as consultations, screening fees, tests and drugs. Make sure you get a good idea of all inclusive costs, so you know what to expect to pay in total. At Manchester Fertility our fees are transparent and inclusive so you know from the outset what your treatment will cost, with no ‘hidden’ extras.

Counselling and support:All licensed clinics are required by law to offer counselling, but does the clinic have an experienced in-house team to help you whenever you need it? At Manchester Fertility we have an experienced team of in-house counsellors for all of our patients, who specialise in all the issues associated with infertility treatment to ensure you are supported throughout your whole journey. Our nursing team are also here whenever you need them, even if you just need someone to talk to.

Waiting lists:Does the clinic have a waiting list if you need treatment with donor sperm, IVF,  ICSI, ovulation induction and IUI? At Manchester Fertility, we have a strong sperm donor programme and thanks to our egg-sharing programme and rise in altruistic donors, we currently have no waiting lists for treatment with a donor eggor donor sperm.

Team experience:Experience and expertise are vital, so check how long the clinic’s senior staff, specialists and consultants have been there. At Manchester Fertility, many of our staff have been with us since we launched in 1986.

Extras:Are you expected to pay more if, for example, you need a blastocyst culture and transfer? Make sure you check if these types of services are included or classed as an extra option which you have to pay for. At Manchester Fertility we don’t charge extra if you need blastocyst transfers and we don’t charge for using innovative new products such as ‘EmbryoGlue’ which helps embryos to implant.

Embryo transfer policy:Do you get a say in how many embryos are transferred in your treatment? Clinics are now meant to follow a single embryo transfer policy – where only one embryo is transferred to help reduce the risk of multiple births. But this may not suit everyone dependent on circumstances such as age or medical history, so will your consultant consider this?

Open door: Good fertility clinics will welcome you to their facility so you can tour it and get a feel for the staff and the team who will be helping you through your treatment and beyond. At Manchester Fertility you can book in for one of our informal ‘one to one open events so you can find out more about how we can help you and ask any questions you have.

Distance:Remember that undergoing fertility treatment will involve regular appointments at your chosen clinic, so how far you have to travel may be a factor you want to consider. However, many of our patients here at Manchester Fertility travel considerable distance for treatment with us, with some travelling from as far away as the Calder Valley in Yorkshire, Stoke on Trent in Staffordshire, Derbyshire and beyond, to access our expert team of specialists and consultants, many of whom are leaders in their field.

Whichever clinic you choose, we wish you the very best as you embark on your fertility journey. If you need further advice, we’d be happy to help. Please contact us on 0161 300 2737.

Last updated: 20th January 2020