CH(06)01

30 January 2006

Dear Colleague,

Implementation of the outcomes of the SEED Review

The HFEA review of sperm, egg and embryo donation is now complete.  The report was published on the 7th October 2005.  Enclosed with this letter are the following: 

1. Directions on giving and receiving money or other benefits in respect of any supply of gametes or embryos.

Donors will be able to claim reasonable expenses and compensation for earnings lost in connection with donation.  This will replace the £15 'flat rate' permitted at present.  Donors may continue to receive benefits in kind but these are now limited to treatment services (i.e. centres are no longer permitted to offer sterilisation as a benefit in kind). 

2. HFEA Practice Guidance Note on egg sharing.

Eggs collected in a single cycle may not be shared among more than two recipients.  The revised guidance also reflects Authority's decision that centres should not offer "egg giving" arrangements see CH (03) 07.

3. HFEA Practice Guidance Note on the limitations on the use of gametes (or embryos created using gametes) from an individual donor.

Gametes from an individual donor may not be used to produce more than 10 families as a result of licensed treatment.  The guidance note sets out the procedure that centres are expected to adopt in order to avoid exceeding this limit, and clearly identifies the responsibilities of centres which supply and receive gametes.  The guidance takes into account the existence of embryos in storage in order to avoid the situation in which embryos are discarded as a result of the limit being reached before they can be used in treatment.

We intend to issue guidance on the procurement of donated gametes and embryos from abroad in the near future.  This will set out, for the first time, the criteria which the HFEA will use when considering an application to import donated gametes, together with a revised form to be completed when applying for a special direction.

Implementation Date

The revised guidance will be implemented 1 April 2006

Transitional Arrangements

For the majority of measures, donors in the course of donating (a "cycle" of egg donation including deferred cycles or a 'course' of sperm donation as defined) and patients in a course of treatment at the time the new measures are implemented should continue and complete the cycle/course on the basis on which it was begun.  New conditions will apply for cycles beginning after the implementation date given in the relevant guidance.

If you have any queries regarding this letter please contact Stephanie Croker by telephone on 020 7291 8239 or via e-mail at stephanie.croker@hfea.gov.uk.  

Yours sincerely,

Dame Suzi Leather DBE
Chair.

 

 

 

 

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