Sarah Norcross, director of Progress Educational Trust, said:
This is a wake-up call for fertility clinics that they are not exempt from consumer law. Sadly, too many patients struggling with infertility are unaware that they are consumers as well as patients and that they have rights. This is important when they are choosing a clinic and when they are offered treatment add-ons to IVF cycles as they can easily face financially ruinous bills for fertility treatment which should be available on the NHS. That’s why PET welcomes this comprehensive guidance for both patients and clinics from the Competition and Markets Authority; it will hopefully be a beacon of light for patients trying to navigate what is often a murky and tricky process at an emotionally difficult time, and a warning light for clinics of the practices to beware of.
