Reviewing the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority code of practice
Published: 26 February 2013
The next update to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) Code of practice will be 1 October 2013. The following areas of the code may be amended:
- regulatory principles: review their usefulness
- witnessing: to review how existing guidance works in practice
- surrogacy: to update guidance in the light of legal advice on parenthood following surrogacy
- multiple births: to introduce guidance discouraging three-embryo transfers
- compensation for donors of imported eggs and sperm: a potential change to General Directions 0001
- reporting requirements: to provide guidance to centres on electronic data interchange (EDI) submissions to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA).
The HFEA has withdrawn the print version of the Code of practice from circulation, as of this January. This will reduce the cost of updating the code and lower the chance of outdated versions being referred to for guidance by mistake. The online Code of Practice is available from the HFEA website .
The professional stakeholders’ group agreed to consider draft guidance at its next meeting in April. It is noteworthy that the Fertility Nursing Forum represents the RCN on this prestigious group.