Aggregated News

Competition and Markets Authority logo

IVF clinics that lie about success rates could face legal action, says regulator

Fertility clinics have been warned that they must be clear with patients about their success rates and charges under new guidance published by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).

For the first time, the regulator drew up the groundbreaking guidance with the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) and has issued guidance to address concerns that clinics are misleading patients by inflating their success rates and offering unclear pricing.

It has warned clinics that they could face enforcement action if they are unclear about how successful fertility treatment may be, or if they fail to make costs of different treatments clear to customers.

The guidance also outlines the legal obligation of clinics to treat all patients fairly and to help IVF patients understand their consumer rights. If the CMA finds that fertility clinics have broken any laws in how they advertise their treatments, couples could take them to court and get compensation.

Louise Strong, consumer director at the CMA, said: "Buying fertility treatment is a big decision...