Patients undergoing IVF are being cautioned about unregulated “concierge clinics” after a popular one went bankrupt, leaving many clients without treatment or refunds.
As the number of privately funded IVF cycles has increased, online concierge companies have emerged, serving as intermediaries between patients, donors, and doctors.
The fertility watchdog has stated that because these clinics do not directly provide IVF treatment, they do not have the authority to regulate them. It is advocating for stricter laws to safeguard patients.
Syreeta Sandhu lost nearly £15,000 when her concierge clinic went bankrupt. “You’re completely devastated,” she said. “Sadness has turned into frustration and anger.”
The 40-year-old mother-of-two reached out to the online firm Apricity Fertility after four failed rounds of IVF and five miscarriages, hoping to have a third child.
She paid Apricity, which matched her with an egg donor and partnered with established clinic King’s Fertility. She was set to begin treatment in December of last year when her appointments were abruptly cancelled without explanation.
Syreeta discovered through the company’s app that it would be shutting down on January 1st.
When she contacted King’s, the clinic informed her that data protection rules prevented them from accessing her file or her egg donor’s information. They had not received payment from Apricity, so her treatment could not begin.
“When you’re on this journey, every month is crucial. You’ll do anything, and you end up spending a lot of money,” she said.
“It takes a long time to find medical staff you can trust,” she added. “I spent almost a year building that trust, and then it just disappeared.”
Concierge clinics offer services such as matching patients with donors and doctors, scheduling appointments, and delivering medication.
It is uncertain how many of these clinics are operating in the UK, but experts believe their numbers are increasing.
Satellite arrangements, where patients attend medical appointments with one doctor, typically their own GP, and then undergo the IVF process elsewhere, are a well-established practice in fertility care. However, concierge clinics do not have physical facilities and do not store eggs, sperm, or embryos themselves.
The fertility watchdog, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), is warning patients that these new services are not covered by their protections.
Clare Ettinghausen, director of strategy and corporate affairs at the HFEA, stated, “The repercussions of Apricity’s closure and the impact it had on patients highlights how the current laws do not reflect the range and types of fertility treatments being offered today.”
She added that the watchdog is calling for a revision of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act to account for the various ways in which fertility services are provided.
Syreeta is one of 52 patients owed money by Apricity. According to the liquidator appointed to manage its debts, Cork Gully, the company owes a total of £119,000 to its patients.
Beth Rodgers, 32, from Belfast has Turner syndrome, a rare genetic condition that prevents her ovaries from producing eggs. Because Northern Ireland has a severe shortage of egg donors, Beth had to find a donor in England.
She and her partner paid Apricity £4,600 and were matched with an egg donor.
“Then I saw a comment on a Facebook group saying ‘thinking of everyone affected by the Apricity news,'” she said. “There was no communication, no contact number.”
The couple were able to recover some of their money through insurance, but it did not cover a £385 fee for a doctor’s appointment and £985 for donor compensation.
“The biggest thing I felt like I lost was time. It was such a long process,” said Beth.
She has now restarted treatment with a regulated clinic. She has had appointments with a doctor in the Republic of Ireland and traveled to Manchester for the embryo transfer.
Though the transfer was unsuccessful, she will be able to undergo another round of IVF with a different egg donor through her insurance.
In recent years, more British couples have opted for private fertility treatment, in part due to the fact that IVF on the NHS is not universally available.
Jonathan, not his real name, and his wife underwent five failed rounds of IVF before turning to Apricity. They paid £10,000 for treatment with their savings and a loan.
“We’ve been informed that there is little chance of getting our money back,” he said. “We haven’t been able to resume treatment yet because we are still trying to raise funds.”
In a letter seen by the BBC, Cork Gully told Jonathan and other patients, “It is unlikely that there will be enough funds to pay patients.”
The company advised any affected patients to get in touch.
The BBC reached out to Mel Chacksfield, who was the CEO of Apricity when it ceased operations, to inquire about why the business went bankrupt and whether or not patients would be refunded, but did not receive a response.
However, Caroline Noublanche, one of the company’s founders and the previous CEO, told the BBC that they “encountered sudden and irreversible financial difficulties in December when planned investment from an investor was withdrawn.”
Prof Emily Jackson, a medical law and ethics researcher at the London School of Economics, stated, “You need a license to work with embryos, sperm, and eggs, but you do not need a license to offer to arrange things on the internet.
“For those considering their options, it is probably wise to choose treatment at an HFEA-licensed clinic because they have responsibilities towards patients in the event of closure.”
Those responsibilities include providing patients with information and support if an HFEA-licensed clinic closes. The clinic must also ensure the safety of all eggs, sperm, and embryos in storage.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care told BBC News, “While digital or ‘virtual’ clinics are not currently under the jurisdiction of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, ministers have met with the chair to discuss emerging regulatory challenges.
“The government is currently considering the HFEA’s recommendations on modernizing fertility laws. We would advise anyone considering using digital clinics to thoroughly research before making any decisions.”
King’s Fertility, the clinic providing Syreeta’s treatment, was a contractor for Apricity and is now a creditor of the company.
Its director, Dr. Ippokratis Sarris, a consultant in reproductive medicine, believes that more concierge clinics will emerge in the future as patients seek convenience and flexibility.
“The shift towards more remote and digital models of care is an inevitable progression in today’s world. This is increasingly what patients want, and often prefer, so it’s important that we don’t deny them that choice,” he said.
However, he advised patients to conduct thorough research before selecting a provider and to be cautious when paying upfront for multi-cycle packages.
“It’s wise to look into how long a clinic has been established, who owns it (NHS, private individual, or private equity), and make an informed decision,” he added.
“We shouldn’t resist change, but we do need to take a proactive approach in shaping it responsibly.”
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