Covid-19

Covid-19 and Restarting Fertility Treatments – updated 3/5/2020

Good news – The HFEA have announced that fertility clinics can apply to reopen later on, in May 2020. The actual reopening date has not been confirmed yet.

This is welcome news to both clinics and patients, but it is important to understand it correctly. Clinics will now apply to the HFEA to reopen and in that application demonstrate that they comply with HFEA General Direction 0014. The HFEA says “the framework governing treatment during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic would be set out in a revised General Direction 0014, which will be issued that week commencing 11 May” and they also say “fertility clinics will be able to apply to reopen sometime in the week commencing 11 May 2020”. So the news is good but does not imply an immediate start. Our primary clinic, the IVF London and we have been preparing for what the HFEA is likely to mention in the revised general direction 0014, so that we minimise any delay in recommencing treatments.

You can be assured that we will reopen as soon as possible. The safety of patients and clinic staff remains a priority for us and for the HFEA.

We understand your anxiety about the re-opening and when individual treatment can commence and we will be contacting our patients to discuss the restarting of treatment as soon as it is possible.

Please refer to the HFEA website athttps://www.hfea.gov.uk/treatments/covid-19-and-fertility-treatment/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-patients/

Covid-19 and Fertility Treatment Timings – updated 30/4/2020

We and all fertility clinics remain in lockdown awaiting authorisation to recommence treatments. Conversations are taking place between the country’s fertility clinics and the various regulatory and expert bodies about the timing and the rules for when we are allowed to reopen. In the meantime, we are offering free telephonic Consultations by ‘phone or skype/Zoom, and the treatment planning that follows, so that when we do restart seeing patients in the clinic we will be able to proceed with treatments as soon as possible.

If you would like to book a Consultation, just contact us in the normal way and we will arrange this with you. We have put a small video talking about this as well as offering you free advice about healthy eating and weight loss (if needed) and benefits of exercise.

Covid-19 and Fertility Treatment

On the 18th March 2020, the British Fertility Society (BFS) and the Association of Reproductive Clinical Scientists (ARCS) published guidance on fertility treatment during the Covid-19 epidemic. This can be read by following the link https://www.britishfertilitysociety.org.uk/2020/03/18/guidance-for-the-care-of-fertility-patients-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic/

On the 19th March 2020 the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) issued instructions based on this guidance, effectively suspending the non-essential activities of all Licensed Fertility Clinics in the UK.

We are therefore moving to a lockdown arrangement. If you have embryos or gametes in cryogenic storage, they will continue to be looked after in the appropriate manner by our primary clinic, the “IVF London”

Please follow the national guidelines on COVID-19, or Coronavirus, to prevent spread of the virus. These are published by Public Health England https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/coronavirus-covid-19-uk-government-response

This message will be updated as and when relevant information becomes available, and particularly with details when we are allowed to reopen.