Unlicensed UK fertility doc faces lawsuit

LONDON, Dec. 30 (UPI) -- Several London women demanded refunds for their fertility treatment after learning their doctor was operating an unlicensed clinic.

The Reproductive Genetics Institute in London gave in vitro fertilization treatment to about 250 patients in 2006, when it was not sanctioned by the Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority, the British government body that regulates fertility treatments, the Observer reported Sunday.

As a result, a few of the clinic's patients are suing to get back the fees -- as high as $40,000 -- they paid, the newspaper said. Lawyers predict more patients will come forward as the legal action progresses.

Though the clinic's success rate for women under 35 is about 60 percent, roughly twice the national average, many experts question the methods of clinic head Mohamed Taranissi, a gynecologist and obstetrician who has emerged as a divisive figure in the field.