The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has given the Homerton Fertility Centre in Hackney, London the green light to reopen its doors for treatment of patients from 8 August. The facility was closed in March 2024 after three “serious untoward incidents” occurred where a number of frozen embryos did not survive being thawed or were “not found.” The Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the Homerton Fertility Centre in Hackney, has confirmed it can implement necessary changes and indicated regret to affected patients. Its chief executive Bas Sadiq said “our primary focus remains the safe management of our patients.”
The closure came after a review was completed by external investigators. The regulator said that it was “satisfied” with the responses by the Homerton Fertility Centre and that some of the findings have been submitted to the HFEA. The centre has treatment that is off-limits until it “bed in” and clear. The HFEA will keep close tabs on the fertility clinic which will receive immediate inspection within the next six months. The early return of the Homerton clinic will provide relief for its hundreds of NHS and private patients who put their childbearing dreams on hold when the institution ceased operating in March.
Incidents in fertility clinics in the UK are rare, but each one is distressing and demands investigation. The regulator ensures that incidents are thoroughly investigated in clinics to understand what went wrong and crucially, to take steps to ensure it does not occur again. The clinic has been under a high level of regulatory oversight for several years, following inspections revealing a number of areas of non-compliance. They were also compelled to close for months in 2022 as a result of staff shortages.
The clinic had not initially revealed the causes of the incidents despite the BBC’s repeated requests to do so. The institution has since instituted new and stringent practices as well as updating equipment and documentation. It remains under a heightened degree of regulatory oversight. The full findings of these investigations have not been published as yet, with the HFEA indicating that investigators found it difficult to establish a definite root cause regarding the embryos that could not be found
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More