Choose a Fertility Clinic

The HFEA has been consulting with clinics and patients about how to present clinic data in a meaningful way.  Read more about the consultation.

A new version of ‘Choose a Fertility Clinic’ was launched on 1 October 2009.

What changed?

Clinic information presented more clearly

  • Overview page gives key information about the clinic
  • Further pages will cover what treatments and services are available, staff and facilities, HFEA inspection and outcome data
  • Data is presented at different levels of detail - from headline success rates to more detailed data

New presentation of the statistics

  • Clinic statistics are compared to the national average, for example if the clinic's live birth rate is above, consistent or below the national average
  • Live birth rates are no longer presented just as a percentage point (eg. 30%). Instead, it will now show:
    • Actual number of patients treated, and the number of live births
    • The predicted chance of an average patient having a live birth: shown as a range [eg. predicted chance between 24 - 36% (most likely to be around 30%)]
    • How the clinic compares to the national average (and what the national average is).

exclamation symbolPublication of data

The verification reports are now available via EDI or clinics' patient management system.
Due to the additional data to be published there are some new verification reports but the summary report will itemise exactly what needs to be cleared.

Get ready

Due to the changes, the format in which clinics will see the final data is changing. 

It is extremely important that clinic verification reports are cleared early to allow sufficient time for clinics review their final data and report any queries to the HFEA.

  • The deadlines for clinics' data to be published as confirmed:

    Data submission:
    Thursday 24 September 2009 (by midnight)
    Final date for new data or corrections, no new data or alterations will be made to your clinic entry after this time.

    Sign off:
    Friday 25 September 2009 (5pm)
    Deadline for sign off of data by Persons Responsible.

When did it change?

1 October 2009

How did the consultation process work?

The HFEA gathered feedback on how to best present fertility clinic performance and outcome data.

In particular, clinicians, fertility sector professionals and the public were invited to provide feedback (based around a discussion document) via online questionnaire, stakeholder meetings and focus groups. Read more about the consultation process.

Got a question?

Clinics are advised to contact their QA representative if they have any queries.

Page last updated: 20 August 2009