A COUPLE are devastated after spending £21,000 on IVF treatment that it turned out they didn’t need.

Sarah and Michael Anderson, of Trinity Road, Southchurch, were desperate to have a baby and when they were told by private healthcare provider Spire Wellesley Hospital, in Southend, that IVF was the only way forward, that’s what they did.

They want to warn others to not be pressured by private healthcare providers into paying for treatment that is not always necessary.

After having preliminary tests on the NHS, they claim they were told by a doctor from Spire Wellesley that due to their circumstances, (Mr Anderson already having a child) the only way forward way to pay to have IVF privately.

Mrs Anderson went on to have four rounds of IVF that all failed.

The 42-year-old explained: “We were told that we would require IVF as we had been trying for quite a while, nothing was happening and after blood checks and semen samples we have in writing this was the route to proceed, but not once did any professionals ever think to request a laparoscopy.”

A laparoscopy is a surgical procedure that allows a surgeon to look inside the abdomen and pelvis.

She continued: “When I finally sought further help from my doctors, after visiting the Canvey scan clinic where I had visited due to a miscarriage after a failed IVF.

"It was discovered both my tubes were blocked and I had lots of abrasions and endometriosis.

“Once I had the laparoscopy done and a small procedure, I fell pregnant straight away.

“The surgeon performing the procedure even said this is the first stage of investigations, which should have been carried out and was shocked it hadn't before we parted with our money.

“We parted with £21,000 for IVF when it was never needed. Spires in Southend never did simple checks that would have normally been performed if I had seen the same doctor practising there under the NHS route instead of as a private client.”

A spokesman for Spire Wellesley Hospital, Matthew Calver, has responded to the couples claims. He said: “At Spire Wellesley Hospital, excellent patient care and safety is our top priority and we set extremely high standards across every aspect of our hospital.

"I am sorry to learn that Mrs Anderson has raised a concern regarding her treatment but I am unable to discuss any aspect in detail given our strict legal duties of confidentiality. Should she wish, I urge Mrs Anderson to contact me at the hospital so we can discuss her concerns.”

The couple now have a one-year-old baby called Alfie, and on the positive side of things Mrs Anderson has lost more than four stone after the hospital told her she needed to lose weight before having IVF.

She worked hard at Weightwatchers and has been living a healthy lifestyle ever since.

She said: “I would like to raise awareness of this simple procedure and what happened to us to stop other couples going down the same road.

“On this journey has been lots of weight loss and my new adventure in cooking healthy food and running demonstrations from my home in Southchurch.

Sarah now runs her own creative kitchen with workshops on healthy food in Southend.