Assisted Reproduction · Registries and Reporting
RRM Academy Synopsis
UK Survey Finds Fertility Patients Satisfied, GPs Often Fall Short
In 2018, the UK's fertility regulator surveyed 1,017 patients and partners about their care. Among the 637 people treated in the past two years, about 3 in 4 said they were satisfied overall. GP advice was among the lowest-scoring parts of the journey.
Key Findings
- Overall satisfaction ran at 75% among UK fertility patients treated in the past two years, with private and NHS clinic users rating their experience about the same.
- Patients who discussed fertility options with a GP were split: 54% felt satisfied with the advice, 26% felt dissatisfied.
- For two-year fertility clinic users, 73% rated care coordination positively, but ratings ran higher among private-clinic patients (78%) than NHS-clinic patients (65%).
- Among those who self-funded care or used add-ons, cost overruns were common at private clinics: 62% paid more than expected, versus 23% at NHS clinics; 77% of add-on users called pricing transparent.
- The report names outcome a key driver of satisfaction: 89% were satisfied when treatment succeeded, versus 30% dissatisfied when it failed, though 52% of that group still felt positive.
Interpretation
This survey reports what patients said. The survey does not report clinical results. The UK regulator paid YouGov to run an online questionnaire in 2018, drawing respondents from a research panel and a public link, then weighting answers to match known patient demographics. The regulator labeled it a pilot, meant to test whether a repeat version could track experience over time. The report's figures cover recent patients: 637 treated in the past two years, 295 treated two to five years ago, and 932 treated in the last five years. They do not describe people treated longer ago. The findings describe how patients rated communication, cost, and coordination; they cannot show what drove those ratings, and the report includes no pregnancy or birth data.
RRM Context
This survey measured satisfaction with NHS and private fertility clinic care, mostly IVF and IUI treatment. The survey did not ask whether patients ever received a root-cause evaluation, the kind of workup restorative reproductive medicine centers on. Some patients described a GP telling them to keep trying on their own, without advice on what they could do. Patients also spent money on paid add-ons meant to support a treatment cycle, sometimes at a higher cost than planned. The spending supported a cycle already underway. The spending did not go toward testing aimed at finding why conception had not happened.
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