Fertility services – Update 12 July 2024
Update: 12 July 2024
We have been informed by the HFEA that it is satisfied that our Fertility Centre can resume treating patients from Thursday 8 August 2024.
Services will resume so long as HFEA inspectors are assured that the Centre has accepted and acted on all actions identified by an independent investigation commissioned by the Trust. We are confident we can give those assurances.
Our main focus now will be planning in the gradual resumption of services and to continue to manage our patients safely prior to that.
We will be contacting patients soon to update them. We will also update the rest of this webpage with further information as we develop our plans for resuming the service.
You can read the full HFEA statement on their website.
The below information is in the process of being updated following the HFEA’s decision on 12 July 2024
Patient care
We understand that until services resume at the Homerton Fertility Centre, patients may wish to transfer their care elsewhere.
All patients have been impacted by the suspension have been contacted with options provided to them where they can transfer their care. The Trust has worked closely with commissioners and other fertility centres to put this range of options in place.
As part of this process patients have been asked to complete a consent form so that the Trust can share their clinical details with other organisations. In order for the transfer of care to progress patients must provide this information. This is in line with guidance from the HFEA.
If you are a patient transferring your care and have received this consent form, please fill it out at your earliest convenience. As soon as this information is received the Trust can continue with the process of transferring your care to another centre.
The Trust has now set up a specific email address for patients with any queries about the transfer of their care. Details are shown opposite.
We understand that any delays are distressing, and we would like to apologise to patients for this. We are working hard to get patients transferred to another centre as soon as possible and have prioritised patients where timing is critical, taking advice from our clinicians, so everything is undertaken safely.
Update on investigations
The total number of patients confirmed to be affected by the incidents is 32. This number is subject to change as our investigations continue and the Trust will provide another update once the investigations into the incidents are complete.
A duty of candour has been completed for all affected patients.
The Trust appointed external experts, and informed the HFEA of their appointment, to investigate the incidents. The Trust has made the following changes in the unit:
1. All our staff now work in pairs to ensure all clinical activities are checked by two healthcare professionals.
2. We have re-checked all competencies of staff within the unit.
3. We have increased the security and access points in the unit.
The investigation into the third incident, which occurred at the end of 2023, is ongoing.
The Trust is exploring every possible cause for issues with the storing of embryos. As well as alerting the regulator, the three incidents have also been reported to the police. On the 8 March officers from the Metropolitan Police attended Homerton Fertility Clinic after concerns were raised by the Trust. There is no police investigation at this time. .
Support available
A large number of patients have contacted us via our helpline, email or contacting the unit directly. As described above, we now have alternative providers in place where patients can be transferred to.
Note:
The HFEA minutes of its licencing committee have been published in the Reports Archive here: Clinic profile for Homerton Fertility Centre | HFEA and provide further detail on the three incidents:
1. Incident A (reported in May 2023) - the correct procedure had not been followed whilst placing frozen embryos into storage.
2. Incident B (reported in October 2023) - some embryos frozen and cryostored at the centre displayed a lower rate of embryo thawing survival rate.
3. Incident C (reported in December 2023) some embryos were not found on the cryo straw during embryo thaw