HFEA conference

I had the pleasure of speaking at the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority conference yesterday, where the regulation of IVF treatment was up for discussion. I'm always pleased when the HFEA want to hear patient views but I must admit, I'd been rather daunted when I was given the title of the talk - "What patients want from a regulator". The reality is that most people going for IVF treatment are only concerned with one thing - whether they are going to be successful - and the role of the regulator is one of the last things on their minds.

However, it made me realise how much of what the HFEA does we take for granted as patients. We expect clinics to be inspected and treatments monitored, we expect to be able to feel confident that our eggs, sperm and embryos are kept safe, we expect to be able to get accurate information about clinic success rates. In the UK, our fertility treatment is quite tightly regulated, and it can seem that the pendulum has swung too far and that the regulation has become interference. Many fertility doctors complain openly about the HFEA, about the paperwork and the endless requests for information but for us as patients, it is absolutely crucial that we can feel secure and know we will be safe at any licensed clinic.

Meanwhile the HFEA has just published the latest national figures on IVF success - the numbers of patients having IVF has risen once again and the success rates have also gone up slightly. You can read more on the HFEA website