A woman spent £15,000 on IVF through a concierge clinic—a middleman service connecting patients with fertility doctors—only for the clinic to go bust. These intermediary companies aren’t regulated by the UK’s fertility watchdog, leaving patients vulnerable when things go wrong.

Editor’s Note: This story highlights a gap in consumer protection for people seeking fertility treatments. Concierge clinics can offer convenience, but without oversight, patients risk losing huge sums with little recourse. It’s a wake-up call for tighter rules in an industry where emotions—and costs—run high.