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09 July 2009

Dear Colleague,

The 8th edition of the HFEA Code of Practice, updated consent forms and Directions

I have the pleasure of enclosing with this correspondence the eighth edition of the HFEA's Code of Practice. Also included is a copy of the Directions which will bring the Code into force as required by section 26 of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology (HFE) Act 1990. The Code has been approved by the Secretary of State for Health, and laid before Parliament.

The 8th edition of the Code of Practice has been substantially updated to reflect the changes both in the HFE Act 2008 and in HFEA policy. In addition, we have added a section containing the principles which describe the behaviours and outcomes that we expect licensed clinics to demonstrate.

We have listened to your concerns about previous codes and, where possible, we have incorporated your ideas and suggestions for improvement. The navigation of the Code has been improved through the grouping of subject areas into guidance notes, and by expanding the index. The language in the Code has been made more accessible and as a result we have received accreditation from the Plain Language Commission.

You will notice that the licence conditions in the 8th Code have been updated. All licensed centres will be issued with new licences over the summer to reflect the new legislation.

Alongside the code, we have published on our website:

• New and updated consent forms which reflect the consent requirements in the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 (as amended) and the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008. The language in these forms has been made patient friendly, and we have developed a user guide to be used alongside them.
• A revised set of HFEA Directions, which have been streamlined and updated to reflect the new legislation. These Directions will supersede all previously issued Directions.

The Code, consent forms, and Directions will come into force on the 1st of October 2009. Until then, the 7th edition of the Code, the existing consent forms and Directions must continue to be used.

 

Consultation report

We consulted widely on the development of the 8th Code of Practice and the consent forms through a series of public events, one-to-one meetings and an online questionnaire. The full consultation report is now available on the website.

 

Helping you to get ready

We have published these documents in plenty of time to help you familiarise yourselves with them prior to the 1st of October. We also want to help you with the changes. We have developed a comprehensive guide to the 8th Code, the consent forms and Directions, explaining the structural changes and the additions and deletions of guidance. We have also included tables explaining where the standards and guidance from the 7th Code are captured in the 8th Code, and how the new Directions supersede the old. We will also, during July and August, be arranging events all round the country for clinics which will include advice on the new Code.

 

Please visit our website

The consent forms, the Directions, the full consultation report, the guide to the changes, and a PDF of the 8th Code of Practice are all now available on the HFEA website. We strongly advise you that visit our website and familiarise yourself with them. They can all be found either through the HFEA homepage, or by visiting: www.hfea.gov.uk/get-ready

The 8th Code will be available in an interactive online version from the 1st of October 2009. Until then, you can still access the 7th Code online.

For further assistance about the content of this letter, please get in touch with your inspector. If you have questions about the new Code, consent forms or Directions you can also email: code8@hfea.gov.uk

Yours sincerely,

Professor Lisa Jardine CBE
Chair

 

Page last updated: 17 August 2012

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