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'Baby god' doctor to face GMC over treatment claims
Sophie Goodchild12 Sep 2008
London's most high-profile fertility doctor faces disciplinary action after complaints over his treatment of two women patients.
Millionaire Mohamed Taranissi, who runs a pioneering clinic in Wimpole Street, will appear before the General Medical Council over allegations of poor treatment.
It follows allegations made by the women to the GMC after they had treatment at his Assisted Reproduction and Gynaecology Centre - the second most successful clinic in London. The women, who have not been named, claim he failed to keep proper medical records.
One alleges he also put "inappropriate" pressure on her to have tests on her immune system.
Legal papers claim Mr Taranissi suggested the woman should undergo treatment using an unnamed medicine which is not officially licensed in this country.
The second woman, who was also treated by the doctor, says he failed to investigate the cause of her fertility problems.
Her husband complained that Mr Taranissi, who charges patients £2,500 for a basic, single IVF treatment, was " insensitive, lacking in compassion and defensive" when communicating with him.
It is understood the fertility doctor completely disputes the allegations against him.
This is not the first time the Egyptian-born doctor, whose personal fortune is estimated at more than £38million, has been the subject of an official probe.
Fertility watchdog the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority investigated him last year. The probe was over claims that one of his clinics, the Reproductive Genetics Institute, was operating without a licence.
Several women have launched a damages case against Mr Taranissi on the grounds they underwent treatment at the RGI when it had no official licence.
They are represented by law firm Irwin Mitchell, which is dealing with claims of up to £20,000 each on behalf of the women. But the action is on hold while lawyers for Mr Taranissi appeal against the HFEA action. The unresolved licence dispute also resulted in Mr Taranissi bringing a £1million libel case against the BBC's Panorama programme over comments it made about the ARGC.
The Standard revealed earlier this year that the doctor has quadrupled his profits in six years. His latest accounts show his company made a pre-tax profit of almost £8million. More than half his patients - 175 out of 292 - were successful in becoming pregnant last year.
Many patients regard Mr Taranissi as a "baby god" for helping them become parents against the odds.
But others see him as a maverick and he has hinted in the past about taking his practice abroad because of a "witchhunt" by fertility officials.
Professor Taranissi was unavailable for comment.
Reader views (14)
I have attended the ARGC on and off since 2001. Yes, I eventually had 2 beautiful children thanks to Mr T's total dedication and care, BUT there were many times in those years that I faced failure, disappointment, upset and heartache. If I hadnt accepted these as facts of infertility (dare I say life), then I dont think I would have my miracle children now. This is not about Mr T, but about these women accepting life's disappointments and moving on.
- Debbie, Hampshire, 01/10/2008 09:36
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How sad to see Dr Taranissi before the medical council on these charges.
The woman who was vomitting had drunk too much water and should have gone straight to A&E.
None of the other IVF doctors I saw would have even answered their phones at 2am. Let alone give patients their after-hours phone number.
I suffered in agony after treatment in a "well regarded" NHS Clinic and yet no one there investigated why and recomended that I go to A&E.
We have one law for private doctors (who get the best rates) and one for the "cheap & cheerful" NHS clinics who simply do not provide a service that matches in quality.
- Flopsy, London, 30/09/2008 20:53
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Having a baby is what is important to me and that is why I choose ARGC.
I will confess ARGC has room for improvement with regards to 'customer care' or 'stroking ones hand' and 'admin.' as suggested above. However, I tried another clinic and although they they had OUTSTANDING 'customer care' their succes rates are half what ARGC achieves and frankly after many years of infertility followed by two rounds of ICSI that ended in a positive pregnancy but then miscarriage all I care about is clinical results. I am happy to pay to have access to the latest cutting-edge medicines and immunology testing, the best of the best.
My fear is that the people taking Mr T. to court will jeopordise my right as a human being to get access to novel techniques that help me achieve being a mother. It takes many years to have large clinical trials to establish new indications for medicines or treatments-like many 'late 30s' women I simply don't have that time and as a scientist I'm happy to weigh up the risk of losing a few hundred pounds to try everything I can to have a child before hitting 40. The excellent success rates ARGC achieve is good enough evidence for me.
To the people taking Mr. T. to court, there are MANY clinics out there you can go to that will be 'sensitive' but check out their live birth rates they are all about half of what ARGC achieve-my priority is the live birth rate and holding a baby in my arms don't take that away from me.
- D. Wass, Hertfordshire, 29/09/2008 17:58
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Just started pre-cycle assessment at ARGC and so far not that impressed with how things are panning out. My concerns so far:
- Not very good at returing calls (I've had better responses).
- Quite aggresive when doing scans (other clinics have been more gentle).
- Paper based office ... come on this is the age of computers! (one occasion they couldnt find my blood test results as a result of poor filing! It was found eventually, but talk about time wasting, when calls could be returned instead!).
- Consultant prescribed me a drug AFTER I had actually asked if I needeed it. Surely it should be the other way round ... ie. they should do the diagnosis and make the recommendation.
By comparison I've got to hand it to Guys for being a lot more efficient. Only reason I've swapped to ARGC is for the success rate. Hope the experience improves...
- Anon, UK, 23/09/2008 12:40
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Mr Taranissi is the best Dr by far on the fertility front. This generous man has given me 3 free goes to achieve my dream and is willing to give me another free go he also paid for my Hystoscopy. Does that sound like a really nasty Dr to you ??
No I dont think so !!
I have nothing but admiration for this man all these so called lies about him are pathetic
Leave hom alone to do his work
- G, Herts, Watford,Hertfordshire, 15/09/2008 12:38
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I have been treated by Mr T over a period of 6 years. We have four wonderful children thanks to him. He works all hours, on three occasions he personally performed egg collections/embryo transfers on either a Sunday or Bank Holiday Monday at a ridiculously early start to the day. This man is commited 100 per cent to his patients needs and best interests and is certainly in no need of increasing his profile or his income, this incredible man continues to work around the clock because of his devotion to childless families...time he was rewarded for his commitment not penalised for his success.
- Karen Wheeeler, Twickenham, UK, 14/09/2008 19:49
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I my have more than my beautiful son to be thankful for from MR Taranissi. His attention to detail and leaving no stone unturned also without a doubt meant that my pregnancy was a safe and fruitful one.
Mr T is the most humble and generous man with both wealth and spirit that I have ever met and we should be honouring him not continuing the persecution.
I wonder if these patients would be suing Mr T if they had been successful. Had I not have been I ill would have the same high opinion of him - complared to other clinics I have visited he is simply the best.
- Wendy, Chichester, 14/09/2008 13:56
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I continue to despair & be disgusted by individuals such as these women and others seeking to divert their own disappointments upon this wonderful man. I have been treated (unsuccessfully to date before you assume otherwise) by Mr T and am always staggered that someone clearly so gifted continues to be persecuted by the UK establishment. I suspect that professional jealousy is at the basis of these claims with other much less successful "experts" hiding behind these "patients". I have been treated by another big player in the infertility arena (who incidentally would warrant some criticism for their practices) - Mr T is the least arrogant & most personally interested and furthermore has demonstrated he has the greater ability. Contrary to the implication of this article, he is not the most expensive - in fact I was charged nearly double for immune testing by my previous clinic! Mr T does more testing during his treatment which gives him the best results and I am happy to pay for it because I know he is my best chance. We are lucky to have him in the UK - PLEASE DON'T DRIVE THIS MAN OUT.
- Joanna, Lincolnshire, UK, 13/09/2008 11:20
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There is no guarantee when a patient undergoes IVF that they will have success. Like with all treatments we undergo in life we need to be aware that there is no sure fix to a problem. I have had two failed attempts at the ARGC and there is no way I can blame the clinic. They did and continue to do everything to try and get the best possible results for their patients. They work all the days and hours under the sun. This is why I am about to undergo my 3rd attempt. After a year off every person in the clinic that was there last year welcomed me with open arms. they have a unique approach that works for most. why is it that poor Mr T who devotes his life to this cause is always the blame for things. He works hard and you would never belive he earns the money he does as frankly is always in the clinic working with his patients. What is it about this country that we feel we have to damage people that are successful and work hard. There is no way that Mr T would do anything to cause harm to his patients or clinic. Sounds to me like the patients involved did not fit into Mr T's way of working and rather then blaming him for unsucccesful outcomes would be best to put their energies into trying again somewhere that works for them. Definite sour grapes!
- Nathalie Welsburg-Paterson, London, 13/09/2008 10:13
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As a surgeon in private practice myself I can tell you that you don't earn that sort of money without providing a first class service to the vast majority of patients. Unfortunately even a baby god can't however please every single patient he treats. In the UK unlike the US we feel it is wrong for doctors to be wealthy, as if we had signed up to some sort of monastic order or national service when we first went to university. We don't feel that way about the alumni of oxbridge when they take their classics degree to the city and earn million pound bonuses but we do about doctors. This engenders huge jealousy and resentment from some outside and inside the profession alike.
It is possible that he fell short of the mark for these two patients (I have no personal knowledge) but even so he has helped a vast number of people reach a life changing goal. Who of us have satisfied 100% of the people we have worked with? Is this really a matter for the GMC?
- Mike H, Midlands, 13/09/2008 09:58
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I dont agree with these couples suing Dr T over the RGI issue, it feels a bit as though they are jumpin on the bandwagon of drama that the BBC have created over this clinic/person. However, if these 2 specific women feel they have an issue in how they were treated, it should be investigated fully and seriously. I have also had to make a complaint about my fertility centre's procedures and treatment. It feels the more questions you ask, the more 'in control' of your own treatment you want to be, the more defensive some Drs and nurses can get - to the point of rudeness and hurtfulness.
- Lisa, West Country, 13/09/2008 09:41
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I second Cheryl's comment. Mr Taranissi's clinic is second to none. I found him to be caring and sensitive. He runs a fantastic clinic. I didn't feel any pressure at all to have any additional or optional treatment. These claimants are trying to jump on the down with the ARGC bandwagon. He's never claimed to have a 100% success rate. My treatment worked and my life has been transformed beyond my greatest dreams. If the treatment hadn't worked I would still rate this clinic 10/10 for the attention to detail tailor made treatment plan designed only for me. Mr T you are the best, please don't take your practice abroad.
- Fiona Tility, London, 12/09/2008 20:11
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I wonder had these patients been successful would they be bringing this case..IVF involves alot of emotions and bitterness is one of the worst. After 3 rounds of terrible treatment at the hands of hammersmith hospital (as a private patient, I went to see Mr T and could not fault my level of treatment or the kindness and compassion shown to me by Mr T and his staff. Please stop this witch hunt against a very good doctor. I have recommended and will continue to recommend this clinic to anyone I know having problems with fertility and I should be in a good place to judge having actually been treated by him, and able to compare him to the clinic which runs under prof Winston at Hammersmith, amazingly one of Mr T's strongest critics..he should worry about what's going on closer to home.
- Nick, london, 12/09/2008 17:10
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The patients who are greedily suing Mr T are clearly just trying to get a share in the fortune he worked so hard to earn. My own experience of his treatment were excellent and he was the kindest, more sincere and caring doctor I have ever known. My own treatment was successful - but do I smell sour grapes? There are no guarantees with IVF!
- Cheryl Hudson, Oxford, UK, 12/09/2008 15:53
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