Fertility regulator the HFEA – Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority - has unveiled its first-ever IVF sector report, giving an overview of clinic performance and regulation in the UK.
Combining patient feedback, incident reports and inspection findings for licensed fertility clinics, which carry out over 75,000 cycles a year, here’s what the report findings mean for you as a patient at Manchester Fertility:
Single Embryo Transfer
If you’ve been advised to have single embryo transfer for your IVF cycle, good news – the HFEA report shows that it doesn’t affect your chance of pregnancy and birth.
Whilst multiple birth rates have more than halved since 2009 thanks to the planned transfer of single embryos, pregnancy and birth rates have actually risen by almost 10%.
At Manchester Fertility, our goal is always to give you a healthy pregnancy and baby. So we may advise a single embryo transfer if your prognosis is good and you have good quality embryos.
We will always reach this decision in consultation with you, taking all your unique factors into account, including your age and diagnosis.
Clinic statistics: Changing behaviours
The HFEA is planning to review its Code of Practice to encourage clinics to change behaviours.
According to the report more than 60% of treatment cycles are now paid for by patients.
And as more private clinics compete for business, the HFEA says it can mean patients are ‘prey’ to marketing techniques, which draw false comparisons between clinics and attention to new treatments that aren’t yet proven to work.
It’s why you won’t find comparison tables on our success rates page at Manchester Fertility. As a clinic focused on transparency, we don’t use them because they can be misleading. We also don’t offer what we consider to be experimental treatments.
Giving patients a voice
The HFEA’s new online ‘star rating’ tool for direct patient feedback of clinics has already been used over 700 times – allowing the HFEA to discuss real examples of patient experiences with clinics, whilst also helping patients to choose the right fertility clinic for them.
If you’ve had treatment in the past 12 months at Manchester Fertility, you can anonymously star rate us here.
Incident reporting
All licensed clinics are required to report any incidents and issues of non-compliance to the HFEA. The report shows that clinics remain committed to continuous improvement and transparency through better reporting.
At Manchester Fertility we take meticulous care to ensure compliance, as reflected in our 5/5 HFEA inspection rating.
Initiatives include robust systems for patient consent and investment in Electronic Witnessing to safeguard patient use of eggs, embryos and sperm.
Manchester Fertility: A trusted UK fertility clinic
Speak to our Patient Advisors for more information on our approach to your care on 0161 300 2737.
If you’d like to become a patient, you can simply self-refer. We don’t have a waiting list for consultations and can help you have a baby straight away, including if you need UK donor eggs or donor sperm.
Last updated: 18th December 2020
