An open letter to fertility patients - Sally Cheshire CBE, Chair HFEA
Dear all,
With the ongoing COVID-19 situation, we understand that patients are concerned with the effect this is having on fertility treatment across the country.
To address the situation, Sally Cheshire CBE, Chair of the HFEA has written an open letter to patients.
We’ve also created a new COVID-19 page dedicated to patients, which we update regularly with new information as of when it becomes available. hfea.gov.uk/treatments/covi...
Please feel free to share this information within your networks and anyone else you think might be interested in this.
Written by
DianeArnold
Partner
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Thanks for sharing this Diane. I did notice this on the site “General Directions are mandatory, meaning that all clinics must follow them.” I suppose the question is, will HFEA need to issue another General Direction to unwind this once we are on the other side of COVID? And if so, what is to stop them from being overly strict and conservative when we are on the other side of this, and not letting clinics make their own decisions to reopen? That is my concern, as the HFEA is very conservative in general.
Hi Peony. I spoke to my C E of Fertility Network UK and this is her reply. Diane
The HFEA at this point in time are following the best public health information and advice whilst we are in the coronavirus pandemic. As doctors and nurses are being recalled/redeployed to tackle and support treatment for the coronavirus many areas of medicine have had to pause treatment. Pregnant women are also a vulnerable group during the pandemic.
FNUK work closely with the HFEA and BFS and as soon as we come through this period and as staff return to their everyday roles clinics will open up as soon as they can. The HFEA as the regulator and clinics did not want to take the decision to pause treatment, however, in the current climate had no choice. Please also see the BFS video here: youtube.com/watch?v=CjBQqZO...
Thank you Diane for sharing this. How can we get a commitment from the HFEA to provide regular updates and also information on the time frames when they will review their directives. As these are not recommendations, but mandates which they have issued, it seems reasonable for patients to demand more transparency.
For example, something like this from the ASRM would be appreciated:
“The above recommendations will be revisited periodically as the pandemic evolves, but no later than March 30, 2020, with the aim of resuming usual patient care as soon and as safely as possible.”
This is the main bit from her letter although what it says elsewhere on the site is that this is a General Direction so mandatory.
“Their advice is that clinics should plan to stop treatments over the next three weeks, allowing patients to complete any cycle they have started. We have written to all UK licensed clinics to tell them that we expect them to follow this guidance.
I recognise that this is very distressing for many of you as it means you have already or will have your treatment stopped or delayed. While this is unwanted news, I hope that you understand that this is the only responsible course of action for the fertility sector and patients at this tough time.
These are extraordinary times and very sadly it will impact on your ongoing fertility treatment at this time.”
As the regulator, we are responsible for setting standards and monitoring the performance of fertility clinics and making sure they comply with the law. It is not our role to provide patients or clinics with medical advice, however as the COVID-19 outbreak has dramatically impacted on the health service across the country and the way fertility clinics can offer treatment, we’ve taken steps to keep patients and clinic staff safe.
What we've told clinics
In line with guidance from the British Fertility Society (BFS) and Association of Reproductive and Clinical Scientists (ARCS), we’ve issued General Directions which now require all clinics to have a COVID-19 strategy in place and to wind down their treatment services over the next three weeks.
General Directions are issued when we need to change clinic practice in line with new policy or guidance. General Directions are mandatory, meaning that all clinics must follow them. If a clinic fails to do so, it would be a breach of a statutory licence condition, which may have serious implications on their license, including suspending or revoking a clinic’s license.
Our Direction addressing the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation was implemented in line with the professional guidelines from the BFS and ARCS, as well as advice from the NHS that all non-urgent, elective surgery should stop by 15 April 2020 the latest.
The general population in the uk have not been told to stop trying to conceive at this time. I only hope that HFEA review and act reasonably when they are advised to do so. The uk already make assisted conception difficult and costly during "normal times ". Once the EU borders open and air travel is again available women will go abroad for treatment if they are faced with no other choice. They will then return to the uk to give birth in a NHS hospital.
I completely agree, regarding the treatment abroad. I don’t know of any clinic which hadn’t stopped new treatments especially after Monday’s lockdown. So If clinics are acting responsibly then why couldn’t they have been trusted to act responsibly for reopening as well rather than having a regulatory mandate that potentially delays restarts more than needed.
I am with you. I haven’t seen any timelines, suspect it’s too early to tell. I am mentally preparing myself for Mid-July as a reasonable date for restarts given they’ve said to stop elective surgeries for 3 months from a target date of April 15. I have to do a fresh cycle this time though so hopefully those who need to do frozen will be able to go sooner xx
I can't bare the thought of July. Depressed enough as it is. I'm praying this will all be over ASAP. Government are supposed to be reviewing lock down measures in 3 weeks. If only we can get this virus under control.... 🤔
it is seriously depressing, this isnt going to do any of us ladies mental health any good at all. What I hate is that people that can conceive naturally can make the most of these next few months, nobody has told them not to conceive. We havent even got a 1% chance naturally
I have done the same as you, we have made a rough plan ourselves to perhaps start medication in June with a transfer in July, I cant bare to think it will be later than this. Surely with lock down measures now I can only hope we will get through this quicker! xx
I've literally just emailed downing st on their online page. I think we should all bombard them highlighting that time I key in treatment for infertility x
I hope it will all be over soon too. I just think the clinics should be able to decide when they reopen and base it on capacity / need for their facilities and medical staff, versus HFEA mandating a shut down. I completely understand why we should be avoiding putting more strain on the Healthcare system at this point and that all medical space and professionals are needed to fight this awful disease. However I just don’t see why the HFEA needs to effectively put a law down when the clinics were already doing the responsible thing.
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