A big NHS fertility clinic in Homerton, east London, Londonhas had its permission to operate suspended because of worries that embryos may have been destroyed.
Trust officials say Homerton Fertility Centre in east London has encountered three cases of embryos not surviving the freezing process in the past year.
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has suspended the center's operating license today due to 'significant concerns about the clinic'.
The clinic cannot provide services until May. However, all current patients will finish 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.on the Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust website states: 'The Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority, which governs the running of fertility units in ,
A statement has suspended the license of Homerton's fertility center. England 'This means that the center will not be able to accept any new bookings for treatment. However, existing patients can still access our services.'
Current patients will be offered the choice to continue their plans at the trust or transfer to another, and a helpline has also been established.
In a letter sent to patients by the trust, chief executive Louise Ashley said 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.
In a letter 'Unfortunately, this has, in some cases resulted in a small number of embryos either not surviving or being undetectable,' Ashley stated in the letter, dated today.
External investigators, Ashley stated, have been unable to find any direct causes.
The clinic has, however, required staff to now work in pairs. The competency of all staff has been 're-checked' and security and access points in the unit increased.
Police visited the clinic on Friday and are not investigating the clinic, the
The Homerton Fertility Clinic has been licensed to practice since 1995. BBC reported.
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Regulators have 'significant concern' about the clinic. here.
