Homerton Fertility Centre in east London (Picture: Google Maps)
A major NHS fertility clinic in Homerton, east London, has had its licence to operate suspended over fears embryos have been destroyed.
Homerton Fertility Centre in east London has seen three cases of embryos not surviving the freezing process in the last year, trust officials say.
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) said it had suspended the centre’s licence to operate today over ‘significant concerns about the clinic’.
The clinic cannot offer services until May. Though all current patients will complete their treatment and all eggs, embryos and sperm will still be stored.
According to The Telegraph, regulators warn that 153 frozen embryos are at risk.
A statement on the Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust website says: ‘The Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority which governs the running of fertility units in England has suspended the licence of Homerton’s fertility centre.
‘This means that the centre will not be able to accept any new bookings for treatment. However, existing patients can still access our services.’
Existing patients will be given the option to either continue their plans at the trust or transfer to another. A helpline has also been created.
In a letter sent to patients shared by the trust, chief executive Louise Ashley says there have been ‘three separate incidents in the last year within the unit, which have highlighted errors in a small number of our freezing processes.
‘Tragically, this has, in some cases resulted in a small number of embryos either not surviving or being undetectable,’ Ashley in the letter, dated today, says.
External investigators, Ashley says, have been unable to find any direct causes.
The clinic has, however, mandated that staff now work in pairs. The competency of all staff has been ‘re-checked’ and security and access points in the unit increased.
Police attended the clinic on Friday and are not investigating the clinic, the BBC reported.
The Homerton Fertility Clinic has been licensed to practice since 1995.
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