The HFEA’s National Patient Survey offered an eye-opening glimpse into how patients perceive their fertility treatment experience – and the findings carry important implications for clinic operations and governance. While overall patient satisfaction remains above 70%, the survey uncovered pain points in areas like treatment coordination, communication, and trust. For clinic directors and governance leads, this is a wake up call: operational processes must be sharpened to address these gaps. 

Below, we interpret key survey findings from an operational perspective and discuss how improving internal systems,  including digitising credentialing and staff compliance management, can directly tackle these issues.

Coordination Failures: A Need for Streamlined Processes

One surprising survey result was that 18% of patients expressed dissatisfaction with the coordination/administration of their treatment. This was the highest dissatisfaction rate of any aspect surveyed. Patients – especially those in certain groups, like female same-sex couples – reported frustrations with administrative mix-ups, scheduling issues, or feeling like they fell through the cracks. From an operations standpoint, such coordination failures often point to inefficient internal workflows. For example, if appointment scheduling is handled in a silo separate from medical records, miscommunications can occur. Or if staff onboarding is slow, clinics might be short-staffed, leading to rushed or disjointed care coordination.

Clinics should evaluate their administrative pathways from end to end. Are there manual hand-offs of information that could be automated? Are different departments (nursing, lab, front office) working off the same updated information? One practical step is implementing integrated digital tools – for instance, a centralized system where all patient appointments, communications, and staff assignments intersect.

By digitising staff management, you ensure that the right staff with the right qualifications are assigned to the right tasks, and everyone can see the status of a patient’s journey in real time. Credentially’s platform, while focused on staff credentials, can be a part of this ecosystem: by confirming a staff member is fully compliant and on board, they can be scheduled confidently without last-minute cancellations due to missing paperwork. Reducing internal friction in this way directly improves what the patient experiences as “coordination.” When processes run smoothly in the background, patients encounter fewer delays, fewer errors in scheduling or paperwork, and thus feel their care is well coordinated.

Communication Gaps: Training and Accountability

The survey highlighted areas of poor communication that undermine patient confidence. For instance, a significant share of patients did not feel that clinics clearly explained the risks of “add-on” treatments – only 37% said risks were explained, meaning almost two-thirds were left without full understanding.

Additionally, Asian and Black patients were less satisfied with the information given and how clinics answered their questions (only 57-66% satisfaction for these groups vs ~76% overall). These statistics reveal inconsistencies in how information is delivered to patients. From an operational perspective, this points to potential gaps in staff training and in protocols for patient communication. It’s possible that not all staff are on the same page about what information must be conveyed , despite the HFEA’s Code of Practice mandating clear communication on success rates, or, high workload and lack of time mean staff shortcut detailed conversations.

Clinics should double down on staff training and set clear, measurable communication standards. Every staff member who consults with patients should be trained in how to convey complex information clearly and compassionately. This includes explaining treatment add-ons and their evidentiary support – which the HFEA explicitly reminded clinics to do (“clinics... must give patients a clear idea of what any treatment add-on involves... how likely it is to increase success, cost, and risks”). Clinics should implement checklists for consultations (e.g., a checklist that in every initial consult, the clinician covers A, B, C and offers time for questions). It’s also wise to audit communication quality – perhaps via patient feedback forms that specifically ask if certain topics were explained.

Ensuring all staff undergo communication training and keeping records of it is easier with a digital credentialing system. If “Effective Patient Communication” is a required competency in your clinic, a platform like Credentially can track who has completed this training and prompt renewals or refreshers. Moreover, such a system promotes accountability – if a trend of poor communication is noted, you can see if perhaps a subset of staff missed the latest training or if new hires haven’t yet been oriented on the HFEA Code’s communication expectations.

Addressing communication gaps is not just about training, though; it’s also about giving staff the bandwidth to communicate. By reducing other administrative burdens, through automation, you free up clinicians’ time to spend with patients, allowing them not to feel rushed when answering questions. Over time, improving communication protocols and training will boost patient trust – they will feel heard and well-informed, key components of a positive experience.

Patient Trust and Transparency: Earning Confidence through Compliance

While the survey noted high overall satisfaction, it also exposed areas that could erode patient trust if not addressed. For example, patients using donor sperm reported confusion about rules, around one-third didn’t find family limit rules clearly communicated when using overseas donors. Also, patients saw that despite unproven efficacy, many clinics still recommended add-ons – 59% chose an add-on based on their clinic’s recommendation – which could lead to disillusionment if outcomes disappoint. These findings suggest a risk that patients might question whether clinics are operating with full transparency and in their best interest. Trust isn’t just about bedside manner; it’s heavily influenced by whether a clinic’s actions align with ethical and regulatory standards. Any hint of cutting corners (in explaining things or in safety procedures) can dent trust.

Clinics should build a culture of transparency and rigor that patients can implicitly sense. This means scrupulously following all HFEA guidance – not just in practice, but in visible ways. For instance, ensure that every consent form and risk disclosure is thorough and that patients are given copies. If the survey indicates patients felt certain info was lacking, proactively provided that info in writing or via patient portals. From an ops standpoint, this might involve updating Standard Operating Procedures to require an extra verification: e.g., before any add-on treatment is booked, the patient must sign an acknowledgement form that the add-on’s benefits and risks were explained. That is a governance measure that ensures compliance with HFEA’s emphasis on informed consent for add-ons. Additionally, consider diversity and inclusion training for staff to better serve patients of all backgrounds, given the lower satisfaction noted among some ethnic groups – patients who feel understood and respected tend to trust more.

How digital credentialing and compliance management helps

A digital system can reinforce this culture by keeping everyone accountable and prepared. For example, Credentially can ensure that each staff member’s file contains acknowledgement of having read the latest HFEA Code or clinic policy updates (you could distribute a new policy on add-on consent and have staff electronically sign it in the system). It can also track if certain staff haven’t completed updated ethics training.

A system like Credentially’s instills confidence internally that you’re on top of compliance – which translates externally. When patients ask questions, staff have the knowledge and up-to-date info to answer accurately, since your compliance system ensured they read the memo. Another indirect but powerful impact on trust is when clinics avoid mistakes. Consider the operational nightmare – and public relations disaster – if an uncredentialed staff member were to be involved in a patient’s care or if paperwork errors led to a consent mishap.

By preventing those errors through rigorous credential management and process automation, you avoid incidents that could severely damage patient trust. In essence, robust compliance management is the backbone of quality control. Patients may never see the effort you put into it, but they will feel the results in terms of safe, smooth, and ethical care.

From Insights to Action: Leveraging Technology for Excellence

The 2024 survey’s findings on coordination, communication, and trust are deeply intertwined. They all point to one overarching theme: clinics must focus on their operational foundations to deliver consistently excellent care. Modernizing the way we manage staff and processes is a big part of that. Embracing digital solutions like credentialing software is not just about efficiency; it’s about ensuring that every patient encounter is supported by a well-prepared, well-coordinated team behind the scenes.

For example, when your clinic uses Credentially, you gain real-time insights in to your workforce’s readiness. You’ll know at a glance that every embryologist in the lab today has completed the latest competency assessment, every nurse on duty has an in-date CPR training and clear DBS, and your counselors have the qualifications the HFEA expects. This kind of oversight means that when unexpected situations arise (say, a patient has a complex question about legal parenthood in surrogacy, or an adverse event happens), you have the confidence that the staff involved are qualified and authorized to handle it. It also means if you need to adjust staffing (add a second counselor on a day where many difficult discussions are scheduled), you can quickly identify who is available and compliance-cleared to step in. Agility in operations starts with knowing your resources, and a digital compliance tool gives you that knowledge.

Additionally, less time spent by managers on digging through files is more time spent on quality improvement projects. Maybe you’ll implement a new patient navigator role or an after-hours helpline – initiatives that improve coordination and communication – because your administrative team finally has capacity. In one NHS example, automating checks allowed an organization to process twenty times more candidates weekly, proving how much human effort can be reallocated to higher-value activities once automation takes over repetitive tasks.

The HFEA patient survey was a wake-up call that even as fertility clinics succeed in clinical outcomes, the patient experience can falter due to operational shortcomings. By learning from these findings, clinics should reinforce their operations in three key areas: streamline coordination, strengthen communication, and uphold trust through impeccable compliance. Investing in digital credentialing and compliance management is a concrete step that underpins all three areas – ensuring you have the right people, with the right training, following the right processes at all times. This not only prevents negative experiences but actively creates positive ones: patients who see a well-organised team, who receive clear information at every step, and who feel safe entrusting their care to your clinic. In the deeply personal journey of fertility treatment, those operational improvements translate to emotional reassurance for patients. They know their clinic is organised, transparent, and accountable. In other words, the clinic is worthy of their trust. As we move forward, let’s use the insights of 2024 to drive excellence in 2025 – blending compassion with compliance, and innovation with ironclad operations – so that every patient’s experience is as smooth and supportive as possible. The families we help deserve nothing less.

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