IVF News - NHS IVF treatment may offer lower chance of success than private clinics

IVF News - NHS IVF treatment may offer lower chance of success than private clinics: "NHS IVF treatment may offer lower chance of success than private clinics Danielle Hamm Progress Educational Trust 26 August 2007 Discuss this article Read comments Add to favorites [BioNews, London] A BBC investigation has found that women receiving IVF on the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK may have a lower chance of conceiving than private patients because treatment is not always provided at the most appropriate time. There is an optimal time to perform the sensitive procedures of egg collection and embryo transfer, however more than half of the NHS clinics surveyed by the BBC performed these procedures four days a week or less. By comparison, top private clinics perform egg collection and embryo transfer five days a week, and tailor treatment to individual patients to ensure the highest chance of success. Laurence Shaw, deputy medical director at the private Bridge Centre clinic in London, told the BBC that performing these procedures at the optimal time can make a 'significant' difference to a woman's chances of a successful pregnancy. A 38 year old patient from London, Kavita, who has tried to conceive using both private and NHS treatment, told the BBC that her private treatment was always more likely to result in pregnancy. 'They [private clinics] are waiting to see the op"