"Private IVF not a good experience."

We paid for IVF privately after being referred by Spire. I don’t feel the information provided about the process was detailed enough, really we were given a pack and told to read it. However, the main reason for my issue is the way I was treated by staff.

On the day of my appointment for the drugs/injections A nurse walked into the room and said to me, and I quote “you’re not pregnant “. Obviously as I was there for fertility treatment I was very taken aback, i asked her why she had said this and she said we do pregnancy test that’s why we ask for a water sample, finishing this explanation with saying “ didn’t you know we did this”.

She didn’t introduce herself or even say good morning upon entering the room, just that I wasn’t pregnant. There was a younger nurse in the room with me at the time and she didn’t say anything but had the grace to look suitably embarrassed by her colleague’s comment.

I didn’t complain about this at the time as I was trying to remain calm during what is a very stressful and emotionally draining process and I didn’t want to make the whole experience more difficult.

Following my unsuccessful treatment, I began bleeding and rang the hospital a number of times to tell them this. The response I received each time was just to do a pregnancy test, which I queried as I was bleeding I obviously wasn’t pregnant. After a few weeks of this and being in pain I was told I could come in to the clinic at 8am and wait to be seen. I did this, saying I wasn’t happy and wanted to complain when I arrived sending the staff into a flurry of activity. I was given an internal scan and left alone in the room with a young nurse, I told him I was in pain and he told me miscarriages can be painful. Again some very important information delivered to me in a very insensitive and upsetting way. I was later told I had had a hint of pregnancy, which was obviously why I was bleeding.

I’m sure the staff work very hard and the majority are concerned about patients, however in my experience unfortunately the negative way these two members of your staff dealt with me have left me with a poor view of the staff and their ability to handle sensitive situations.