Weighing up political risk for a private provider of IVF services

Our client needed due diligence undertaken on an IVF provider with sites throughout England and in Poland. Our experience in the sector, and of British and Polish politics, allowed us to identify the key issues relevant to the asset in both England and Poland.

We advised the devolved nature of funding for IVF treatment in England meant that to get an accurate picture of IVF provision in England, detailed assessment of a select number of CCGs in which the asset operated would be required.

We identified that a substantial risk for the asset was the possibility of the NHS introducing a price-cap for what CCG’s could pay private providers for a cycle of IVF treatment.

We used our network of international contacts to identify key stakeholders within Polish policymaking, to provide us with the necessary insights to establish a clear picture of the Polish IVF policy landscape.

We identified seven CCGs within England that were most crucial to the asset’s business model. Using data analysis and interviews with local decision makers, we were able to establish future funding and provision plans crucial to the asset’s business model.

Through targeted interviews with policy professionals within the IVF sector, we were able to confirm that the NHS did not intend to introduce a price-cap for IVF treatment.

We provided our client with a comprehensive analysis of the political risk factors affecting IVF providers in both England and Poland, in a compressed timescale.

Through a localised approach to analysing the provision and funding of IVF services, we were able to provide our client with assurances that funding decisions by relevant CCGs would provide a stable operating environment for the asset.

We provided clarity on the possibility of the introduction of a price cap for IVF services, while also establishing the government was reluctant to increase regulatory oversight of the IVF sector.