British Fertility Society statement on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008
1 October 2009
The British Fertility Society (BFS) is pleased to support the changes to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology (HFE) Act that take effect from today. The BFS and its members have campaigned tirelessly to Parliament and the Department of Health to ensure the Act allows high quality practice in the provision of fertility treatment and rigorous scientific and clinical research into the causes and treatments for infertility. The HFE Act includes many changes to clinical and laboratory practice in UK clinics suggested by the BFS in its submissions to the House of Commons1, Department of Health2,4 and HFEA3.
The major changes to the HFE Act lobbied for by the BFS include:
- Simplification of the HFEA’s Code of Practice, the document that gives guidance for clinic and laboratory staff concerning their every-day work.
- Revision and simplification of consent forms including updated guidance for patients to assist them in giving their informed consent.
- Revision of the initial statutory storage period for embryos, and bringing it in line with that for gametes (10 years).
- Increased accessibility for researchers to the HFEA’s database of fertility treatments performed in the UK’s licensed centres.
- Introduction of a ‘cooling off period’ in the case of stored embryos where one of the genetic parents withdraws their consent.
- Recognition of the variation in family structure within the UK which requires clinics to assess the need for ‘supportive parenting’ rather than just the ‘need for a father’.
- Increase in the availability of information to donor conceived people or their parents about the donor, and allowing the donor access to more information about how their donation was used.
The BFS also supports the following changes introduced into the revised HFE Act 2008:
- Introduction of ‘costed treatment plans’ in which patients who are not NHS funded will get clear and detailed up front information about costs before they undertake any investigations or embark on a treatment cycle.
- The need for counsellors and senior laboratory staff to be accredited/registered by the relevant bodies.
- The ability to use embryos donated for training purposes without the need for a specific licence.
The BFS has supported its members in preparation for these changes by holding a training meeting for senior staff and has been liaising closely with both the HFEA and the Department of Health.
Dr Allan Pacey, Secretary of the British Fertility Society, said:
“The British Fertility Society welcomes the new Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008, which comes into force today. The area of reproductive medicine is constantly evolving and our knowledge of the science and technology is increasing all the time. We need to ensure that the legislation keeps up with this rate of change and is regularly reviewed to take account of new scientific findings and techniques. These changes in legislation should have a positive impact on many UK patients who are to undergo licensed fertility treatment both now and in the future. The Act should allow for clearer information, streamlined processes within clinics, and the possibility that researchers may make useful discoveries about the causes or the treatment of infertility that will improve the treatment of future patients.”
Notes for editors:
References
1. House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee review of the HFEA Act in May 2004
2. Department of Health review of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act in November 2005
3. Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority public consultation on Hybrids and Chimeras in July 2007
4. Department of Health consultation on regulations to implement the Human Fertilisation and Embryology
Act 2008 in March 2009
These documents can be viewed on the BFS website at: http://www.fertility.org.uk/practicepolicy.
The British Fertility Society is a national multidisciplinary organisation representing professionals practising in the field of reproductive medicine.
For more information, please contact the British Fertility Society press office.