Issue 5

Issue No. 5 - May 2008

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We hope you find this interesting and informative. If you have any feedback about the content of this newsletter, please email hfeaeupdate@hfea.gov.uk 
 

News from the HFEA


Passage of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill


The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill is now going through its stages in the House of Commons, with a Second Reading and the start of the Committee stage.

Details of the passage of the Bill as it goes through Parliament are available from the Parliament website.

The HFEA has also produced a number of factsheets about key aspects of the Bill, which you can read here.

Preparing for the future

With the new Bill set to receive Royal Assent this year, possibly as early as July, the HFEA will inevitably be going through significant change.

We have been preparing for these changes with a programme of work called Programme 2010.

The HFEA is maintaining its ongoing performance and operational commitments with support from the Department of Health.

Read more about our work in the year ahead in the 2008/9 HFEA Business Plan.

Imports and exports

The HFEA has produced a series of FAQs for patients wishing to find out more about the rules for imports and exports of sperm, eggs and embryos.

Read the FAQs

 

EDI workshop held with clinics

The HFEA recently held a meeting with a number of the clinics using the EDI system (the computer system to send information to the HFEA) to discuss improvements to EDI and the forms that clinics use.

We are committed to improving and a second meeting will be held later in June to discuss improvements to the system and forms. Any clinics wishing to get involved should contact their QA officers.



 

Policy and Guidance


Publication of Find a Clinic data

The HFEA will be updating the Find a Clinic information by publishing early pregnancy data for treatments taking place for the full year of 2007 on 1 July 2008.

Information for IUI and GIFT clinics for the period 5 July to 31 December 2007 will also be added to Find a clinic.

The policy on publication of data has been updated following the May Authority meeting. IVF clinics that have not completed the confirmation process by 20 June 2008 will have their data published as "unconfirmed".

Read the letter sent to clinics

 


Code of Practice update

The HFEA Code of Practice will be updated at the end of May to take account of the recent changes to guidance on imports and exports.

We will communicate the update via the homepage of the online Code of Practice and clinics will also receive updated pages for their hard copy in the post.


 

News from the sector


Donor Conception Network (DCN) workshops

DCN are running ´Telling and Talking´ workshops around the UK for parents of donor-conceived children (or those in a well-established pregnancy).

They are aimed at those who have not yet started to tell their children about how they came into the family, as well as those who have begun the story and would like further guidance and support.

To find out how to take part contact the DCN at www.dcnetwork.org/

 

Report on public attitudes to science


The 2008 report on public attitudes to science has been published by the UK Research Councils (RCUK), supported by the Government´s Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills.

Read more about the report on the RCUK website


 

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Last updated: 24 June 2008