Fertility treatment in the UK continues to be safe for patients, says HFEA

Findings from the report include:

• 100,000 treatment cycles took place across the UK, with incidents occurring in less than 1%.
• Around a third of clinics inspected in 2025/26 were fully compliant with the law and our guidance, despite a slight increase in non-compliances (from 131 in 2024/25 to 141 in 2025/26).
• The number of incidents, near misses and to be assigned (TBA) cases increased by 19% in the last year, with the overall increase mostly in the least serious incident category (Grade C), which are mainly clinic administration and laboratory operator related.
• Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS) remains very low occurring in less than 0.2% of cycles, with 83 cases reported by fertility clinics – an increase of eight on the previous year.
• The number of patient complaints increased in 2025/26, in line with trends elsewhere in the health system. Most complainants seek refunds or compensation, which the HFEA has no regulatory powers to enforce.

Peter Thompson, Chief Executive of the HFEA, said:

“Fertility patients can be reassured that treatment in UK licensed clinics remains very safe, with over 99% of cycles carried out without incident.

“Patients are at the heart of everything we do, so we’re pleased that those who provided feedback responded positively, with more than 80% saying they’d recommend their clinic to friends or family.

“While this report shows an increase in the number of incidents reported to the HFEA over the last year, this reflects a sector that is becoming more responsible and transparent when things do go wrong.

“We continue to work closely with clinics when incidents occur, monitoring trends over time, and making sure learnings are shared and acted upon, so that patients across the UK can have a good experience of treatment.”

To read the full report, click here.

Ends

For more information or for interviews with a HFEA spokesperson, please contact press.office@hfea.gov.uk or call 020 7291 8226.

For out of hours requests, please call the duty press officer on 07771981920.

Notes to editors

• The report provides a snapshot of the HFEA’s regulatory work for the year, covering the number of inspections, reported incidents and non-compliances.
• This report is compiled from information gathered from our inspections throughout the year and other sources of information, including incident reports, patient feedback, and patient complaints.
• Incidents are graded as:
  • Grade A: involves severe harm to one person, or major harm to many
  • Grade B: involves serious harm to one person, or moderate harm to many
  • Grade C: involves minor harm
  • Near miss: an event not causing harm, but with the potential to cause injury or ill health.
• Non-compliances are graded as:
  • Critical: An area of practice that poses a significant risk of causing harm to a patient, donor, embryo or to a child who may be born as a result of treatment services; or a significant shortcoming from the statutory requirements.
  • Major: An area of practice that poses an indirect risk to the safety of a patient, donor, embryo or to a child born as a result of treatment services. This area of non-compliance may also indicate a major shortcoming from the statutory requirements and/or indicate a failure by the Person Responsible to carry out their legal duties.
  • Other: An ‘other’ area of practice that requires improvement is any area of practice, which cannot be classified as either a critical or major area of non-compliance, but which indicates a departure from statutory requirements or good practice.
• Further notes on The Fertility Sector 2025/26 can be found in the report. A full list of definitions of classifications of incidents and complaints are available in the underlying dataset of the report.

About the HFEA

• The HFEA is the UK’s independent regulator of fertility treatment and research using human embryos.
• Set up in 1990 by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act, the HFEA is responsible for licensing, monitoring, and inspecting fertility clinics - and taking enforcement action where necessary - to ensure everyone accessing fertility treatment receives high-quality care.
• The HFEA is an ‘arm’s length body’ of the Department of Health and Social Care, working independently from Government providing free, clear, and impartial information about fertility treatment, clinics and egg, sperm and embryo donation.
• The HFEA collects and verifies data on all treatments that take place in UK licensed clinics which can support scientific developments and research and service planning and delivery.
• Around 4,300 children in the UK are born each year through the help of a donor (2023). The HFEA holds records of all donors and children born since 1991.
• The HFEA is funded by licence fees, IVF treatment fees and a small grant from UK central government. For more information, visit hfea.gov.uk.