Australia needs to improve training of IVF workers and more transparency on success rates

With Aussie IVF clinics charging massive out of pocket expenses, it’s about time we had some transparency.

Opinion: Deciding to use IVF is one of the most emotional decisions a couple will make but our investigation into success rates shows they need to do their research first.

With some clinics charging out of pocket expenses of more than $5000 and the taxpayer picking up the bill for around half the cost it’s about time we had some transparency.

A new government website — yourivfsuccess — for the first time reports on the success rates of individual clinics. But it doesn’t present this in an easy to use league table.

We did that job for you and revealed the massive difference in success rates between different clinics.

At Australia’s best clinics, nearly two in every three younger couples trying for an IVF baby will get one.

National Health Correspondent Sue Dunlevy. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

At poorer performing clinics, only one in four couples get a baby. And, among older mums, while some clinics have success rates of more than 42 per cent, others deliver a baby less than 10 per cent of the time.

With private equity firms swooping in to take over Australia’s largest IVF clinics, hoping to cream off profits underwritten by taxpayer subsidies, this measure of success will be vital.

If the new owners try to cut costs and it results in a poorer service, it will be tracked by this website.

Our investigation has also exposed the need to focus on improving the training of the embryologists and lab assistants working behind the scenes in IVF clinics.

While the public focus is on “baby God” doctors, we revealed 70 per cent of the success of an IVF treatment depends on the laboratory equipment, the cultures, chemicals and drugs used.

And, we were told Australia has some of the slackest training requirements for IVF workers in the world.

Given the amount of private and public money being spent in this area we need to do better and match the UK and Europe in requiring workers to have at least three years’ training.