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24 October 1996

To: All Persons Responsible

Dear Colleague,

Statutory storage period for embryos

Earlier this year the HFEA asked the 32 clinics holding embryos that were due to be removed from storage on 31 July to complete a questionnaire. I would like to thank those clinics for responding so promptly. The information supplied confirmed that all clinics with such embryos complied with the law. Their co-operation has been greatly appreciated.

From the responses received we have been able to determine that 4,402 embryos were allowed to perish on 1 August 1996. The attachment to this letter gives a detailed breakdown of this figure. You will also see that 387 patients (with 1,663 embryos) gave their consent to further storage. The sheet attached gives a detailed breakdown.

The Department of Health has been informed of these figures.

Yours faithfully

Suzanne McCarthy

---

DATA ON EMBRYOS: The statutory storage period for embryos

1.  The total number of embryos (created pre-August 1991) which were removed from storage on 1 August 1991:

4,402 embryos (1,219 patients) had to be allowed to perish on 1 August 1991

The reasons why these embryos had to be removed from storage are given below *

a) 406 patients (with 1,343 embryos) had received letters but had chosen not to contact their clinics

b) 22 patients (with 70 embryos) had requested that the clinic not contact them

c) 413 patients (with 1,526 embryos) had lost contact with their clinic

d) 179 patients (with 629 embryos) could not store their embryos for another five years as their embryos had been made using donor gametes and the donor was not contactable (we do not know whether these patients would have requested further storage if the donor had given his/her consent)

e) 239 patients (with 995 embryos) contacted their clinics to say they did not require further storage

e) 239 patients (with 995 embryos) contacted their clinics to say they did not require further storage

2.  387 patients with (1,663 embryos) requested, and gave their consent to, further storage

3.  In the six month period leading up to the 31 July deadline, 37 patients (with 177 embryos) donated their embryos for research purposes and 47 patients (with 190 embryos) donated their embryos for the treatment of others.

4.  In the six month period leading up to the 31 July deadline, there were additional patients who wished to donate their embryos to research and/or the treatment of others but these embryos could not be used for a number of reasons. The embryos were therefore allowed to perish.

* The figures given in the breakdown add up to a greater figure than the total of 4.402 embryos. This is because some embryos in category d) are included in other categories.

Page last updated: 24 August 2012

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