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28 May 2004

Dear Colleague

I expect you will have heard that the HFEA is one of 42 'arm's length bodies' whose future is under consideration by the Health Minister.  The aim of the review is to reduce the number of bodies overall by 50%, expenditure by £0.5 billion and staffing by 25% by 2007/8.

Decisions are expected by the end of July. We will be discussing the issues with Department of Health colleagues in early June, in order for them to inform the review team, It would be very helpful to hear your views about any potential changes before that time - please do email Angela McNab, our Chief Executive, at angela.mcnab@hfea.gov  or me at suzi.leather@hfea.gov.uk.

We welcome any move to reduce bureaucracy and increase efficiency.  As you know, we are actively engaged in modernising our inspection and licensing processes.  In addition to this review there are, of course, also the House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee's inquiry into assisted reproductive technology and the government's review of the HFE Act with public consultation starting early next year.

We want to ensure that whatever the designated organisational structure is to be, patient and offspring safety, the integrity of Register and the robust regulation of licensed treatments and embryo research remain secure. Our shared responsibility for patient safety has led us, in partnership with you at the clinics, to initiate a ground-breaking scheme to issue ALERTS to clinics to support improvements in services.  We do not wish to see the modernisation of the HFEA's practices and the innovations such as the Alert system put in jeopardy.
 
We also have a strong commitment to the welfare of children born as a result of IVF and our unique responsibilities for maintaining a register of treatments will enable us to ensure they can exercise their right to information about their origins. Any organizational changes must continue to ensure robust regulation of licensed treatments and embryo research.

It is our strong wish to see the issue of HFEA's functions considered properly in all their complexity. Meanwhile it is very much business as usual.

Suzi Leather
Chair

Page last updated: 14 April 2009

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