If you are struggling to become pregnant, it can be difficult to know where to turn or what questions to ask. Our friendly new patient enquiry team are here to chat with you, listen to your worries and reassure you with all the information you need and answers to your questions, with no obligation to book an appointment.
Our new enquiry team are very knowledgeable about all of our treatments and can provide information on anything ranging from IVF to genetics, the process, or potential costs, including our funding packages Carepay. After your call they can send you more information based on what was discussed, and if you are ready, they will book you an appointment for a consultation at your chosen Care clinic.
Our new enquiry team always put our patients at the heart of everything they do. They really listen, do everything they can to understand and help you. They treat anyone who calls as part of our Care family.
Here is Char, our new patient enquiry team manager talking through how to get started with Care.
We know making that first call to a fertility clinic is daunting, so thought we would introduce you to some of the people who will be on the other end of the phone.
We spoke with Elaine, Georgia, Julia, Ashlea and Lisa from our new patient enquiry team about why they joined our Care family, how they help patients, their advice for those starting their fertility journey and more…
Why did you decide to join the Care family?
Elaine: As soon as I saw the job advert for Care, I knew I needed to apply. My nephew was made at Care Northampton and I had recently found out some sad news about my own fertility. The way I had been told about my own issues and the care I had received was quite awful, so my goal is to show the compassion and empathy that was severely lacking when I needed it and just be a sensitive ear and provide as much guidance as I can.
Georgia: I went through 5 cycles of treatment myself – over that period I connected with many others going through treatment and realised the value and importance of speaking to people going through a similar experience. There is a real sense of relief to be able to speak freely about infertility with someone who has experienced it and therefore really understands its impact across every aspect of your life.
Julia: I love trying to help people and always wanted to work where we can actually make a difference. I used to work on the front line in the ambulance service, and now as part of Care’s new patient enquiry team I always try to put myself in the patients’ position and help with whatever you need.
Lisa: I have been part of the Care family for 20 years! I started as a part-time receptionist, moving on to reception manager and now part of our new patient enquiry team.
When I saw the job advertised all those years ago, I thought it would be really interesting and applied. It is so much more than interesting! It really does feel like we are a family, all working together for the same aim: to help patients extend their family. We get upset for our patients when treatment hasn’t worked and we celebrate with them when it has. We do understand that treatment is not the easiest thing to go through, but we really want to help in making it better, in every way that we can.
How can the Care new patient enquiry team help?
Ashlea: Our main role is to provide patients with information about their clinic and treatments, register their details and book them in for their relevant appointments. However, it is much more than that; we are a listening ear for the majority of our patients who have had a tough fertility journey, reassuring them the best that we can. We are a walking Wikipedia with our knowledge as we never know what question we are going to be asked!
Julia: You might not be trying for a baby just yet - you might just want to know prices or success rates, and we are here to help and send information for you to read. If you have any questions, we are all more than happy to talk through the stages. There is no obligation to go any further with your enquiry; we just want to help and reassure you that you can come to us in the future if needed.
Is there anything our new patient enquiry team can’t help with?
Julia: We can help with most things, but some areas of fertility treatment are very specialist, such as known donation, shared motherhood and surrogacy, in which case we pass you on right away to our Donation teams, as they can give patients all the detailed information they need.
Ashlea: If there is anything our new patient enquiry team can’t help with, such as treatment with PGT-M or NHS funding, we will still take your details and pass them on to the relevant team, who will be in touch as soon as possible with more information – we are always want to help patients as much as we can!
What’s your favourite part of being part of the Care family?
Ashlea: My favourite part about working with Care’s new patient enquiry team is knowing that I have (hopefully) made a difference to somebody's fertility journey, just by being kind, listening to them, pointing them in the right direction and ensuring they get the most from all their appointments.
Georgia: My favourite bit about being part of Care is helping to reassure patients about the processes. I also love spending time with the embryology teams and watching treatments like ICSI being performed!
Julia: I have only been with Care’s new patient enquiry team nearly one year, and I love how we work very well as a team! We help each other, learn from each other and have really grown, and I just love being part of this fab team.
Lisa: So many things! My favourite memory being at Care is helping a patient who had her treatment cancelled last minute at a non-Care clinic due to staff shortages. We cannot always help due to timescales, but we were told if I could personally oversee the transfer of her care to us and liaise with all the departments then we could offer her treatment. I did take every aspect on and we got the patient her treatment, for which she was very grateful for and now has a little boy!
What would you say to someone who is considering treatment but doesn’t know where to start?
Lisa: I would say call us, the new patient enquiry team. We are really happy to talk through the initial steps with you and answer any questions you may have – no question is a silly question. We appreciate that sometimes it is very hard even just to make that first call, but we are here to help you in any way that we can. We won’t rush you, we will listen, promise!
Georgia: Start a list of questions – no matter how silly the question may seem. It’s easy to forget to ask things when you’re making enquiries or have appointments. Also join free online support groups, such as the Care forum or charities like Fertility Network UK, where you can chat to others who have been through or are about to start treatment for lots of great suggestions and advice for starting out on your journey.
Ashlea: For patients who are considering fertility treatment, I would say to call our new patient enquiry team where one of us will be happy to talk you through your first steps. We will provide you with some costs, treatment information and ensure you have all the correct investigations prior to speaking with our consultants to ensure there are no delays for you further down the line. We treat our patients on an individual basis and hope to ensure your journey is personal from the very beginning.
Want to chat with our new patient enquiry team? Call us on 0800 564 2270, orrequest more information from the team through our website.
When you’re ready to talk about your next step, we’re here.
