Policy reviews

  • Donor information access review
    Due to recent amendments to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act, the HFEA is required to make certain changes to the type of information it provides to those affected by donation (including donor-conceived people, parents and donors). It will mean that people affected by donation will have greater access to information about their genetic origins than is currently available.

  • HFEA consultation on the draft 8th Code of Practice and revised consent forms
    The HFEA would like your views on the draft 8th Code of Practice and a number of revised patient consent forms. 

  • HFEA consultation on presenting clinic performance and outcome data
    The HFEA would like your views on how to present clinic performance and outcome data to best inform patient choice, promote good clinical practice and support HFEA policies.

  • Information review
    Legislative changes will require us to open up our Register to researchers and donors, and to broaden the rights of access for donor-conceived people. Also, centres will have new requirements for collecting and distributing information.

  • Hybrids and Chimeras
    The HFEA has launched a consultation on the ethical and social implications of creating human/animal embryos in research.


  • Multiple births and embryo transfer review
    The HFEA recently launched a new project to review the numbers of embryos transferred during an IVF cycle in order to reduce the incidence of multiple births following assisted conception in the UK.

  • Witnessing the identification of samples and patients/donors
    The Authority has been reviewing the policy on witnessing to take into account traceability requirements of the EU Tissues and Cells Directive, use of electronic systems for witnessing (bar coding and RFID) and causes of witnessing related incidents reported to the HFEA.

  • Donating eggs for research: safeguarding donors
    The purpose of this consultation is to consider the unique issues associated with the donation of eggs to research and to consider ways to ensure that, if the practice is to take place, the interests and well-being of those women wishing to donate for this purpose are protected.

  • 7th edition of the HFEA Code of Practice
    The last edition of the HFEA Code of Practice was published in January 2004, and we are working now on the 7th edition.  The consultation on the content of the Code ran from September to December and is now closed.  The 7th edition will incorporate guidance published since the previous edition of the Code and will merge the Code with the HFEA Standards for assisted conception centres required under the Directive

  • Standards for Assisted Conception Centres
    The HFEA, in collaboration with the professional bodies of the assisted conception sector, have drafted a set of Standards for Assisted Conception Centres. These Standards include the technical requirements of the European Tissues and Cells Directive which came into force on 7th April 2006.

  • Review of the HFE Act - Response to Government consultation
    The HFEA has made a number of recommendations to the Department of Health for the review of the HFE Act.
  • Public attitudes to regulation in the UK
    As part of our membership of the European Assisted Conception Consortium, the HFEA has prepared a report on public attitudes to the regulation of Fertility Treatment and Embryo Research in the UK

  • Choices and boundaries - Should people be able to select embryos free from an inherited susceptibility to cancer?
    The Choices & boundaries discussion took place to inform the Authority decision on whether people should be able to use PGD to avoid passing on an inherited susceptibility decision. The Authority discussed this information at the May 2006 meeting.

  • Tomorrow's Children - Review of the HFEA's guidance on Welfare of the Child
    The HFEA has recently completed a review of its guidance to clinics on how to interpret the welfare of the child principle laid down in section 13(5) of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990.

  • Sperm, Egg and Embryo Donation Review
    This Review will assess systematically the current state of, and likely future trends in, fertility treatment using donated sperm, eggs and embryos from the perspectives of those donating, those seeking treatment, those providing treatment services and those born as a result of those services.

  • EU Tissues and Cells Directive (EUTCD)
    The Directive introduces new legal requirements for all units involved in the donation, procurement, testing, processing, storage and distribution of gametes and embryos.

  • Preimplantation tissue typing
    The HFEA recently announced the outcome of its review of use of the preimplantation genetic diagnosis to select an embryo for tissue type.

  • Preimplantation genetic diagnosis
    Preimplantation genetic diagnosis, or PGD, involves removing a cell from an embryo at an early stage of development and testing it for genetic disorders.

  • HFEA response to the Toft Report 2004
    The HFEA response to Professor Brian Toft's report: External review of the circumstances surrounding four adverse events that occurred at the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, West Yorkshire

  • Deceased Fathers Act
    Information about registering a man as the father of a child conceived after his death.

Last updated: 18 November 2008