Health ministers announce new members of the HFEA
02 December 2002
Health Minister Hazel Blears today announced the appointment of four new members to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) and the reappointment of one existing member.
Hazel Blears said:
" I am delighted to announce the appointment of four new members, Mr Walter Merricks, Ms Clare Brown, Professor Neva Haites and Dr Maybeth Jamieson, to the HFEA. Their backgrounds in finance, patient advocacy, clinical genetics and embryology respectively, will be of great value to the Authority. I am also pleased to announce that Professor Peter Braude has accepted my invitation to serve a further three-year term.
"Members of the HFEA are not appointed as representatives of different groups, but bring to the HFEA a wide range of medical, scientific and lay expertise. The HFEA faces new ethical and scientific challenges each day as technology and understanding in the field of reproductive medicine develop. I am confident that the new members of the HFEA will make a valuable contribution towards the HFEA's important work in regulating clinics and assuring patient's safety."
The HFEA regulates in vitro fertilisation (IVF), human embryo research and other assisted conception services in the UK. Its function is to ensure that all UK centres offering these services conform to high medical and professional standards and are inspected regularly. The HFEA collects comprehensive data about such treatments, and provides detailed advice and information to the public.
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Notes to editors
The HFEA was established in 1991 by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990. Its principal task is to license and regulate clinics that carry out in vitro fertilisation (IVF), donor insemination (DI) or human embryo research or store human sperm, eggs or embryos.
New members are:
- Professor Neva Haites is Professor in Medical Genetics, Aberdeen University and Chair of the British Society of Human Genetics
- Dr Maybeth Jamieson is a Clinical Embryologist at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary and a founder member of the Association of Clinical Embryologists
- Ms Clare Brown is Executive Director of CHILD, the National Infertility Network
- Mr Walter Merricks is Chief Ombudsman, Financial Ombudsman Service and founder trustee of the Donor Conception Network
The re-appointed member is:
- Professor Peter Braude Head of the Division of Women's and Children's Health, Guy's King's and St Thomas's School of Medicine, King's College London
For furthur information please contact the HFEA press office.
Page last updated: 12 March 2009