The BBC reported this week that over 100 women who had eggs and embryos frozen at a leading clinic have been told they could have been damaged due to a fault in the freezing process.
Defective freezing solution
The fertility regulator, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), is investigating Guy’s Hospital and St Thomas’s Assisted Conception Unit for inadvertently using faulty freezing solutions in September/October 2022.
If affected by the faulty solution, the eggs and embryos may not survive the thawing process.
The clinic said it did not know the liquid was defective at the time.
The issue could possibly remove many of the women’s chances of conceiving with their own eggs. It is reported that as many of the 136 patients affected have later undergone cancer treatment which could have left them infertile.
Delays informing patients
The BBC reports that patients have only recently been told that their eggs and embryos may not survive the thawing process if they were frozen with the faulty solution. This is despite the fact that a safety notice about the fertility freezing solution was issued by the HFEA back in February last year.
HFEA’s director of compliance has stated:
“We appreciate any incident may be concerning to patients. We advise patients to contact their own clinic to raise any queries or concerns, as the clinic is best placed to advise individuals on how they may, or may not, have been affected.”
A spokesperson for Guy’s and St Thomas’s NHS Foundation Trust said the manufacturing issue:
“may adversely impact the chance of frozen egg or embryo survival during thawing. We have contacted all of those affected and apologised for the delay in doing so and any distress this may have caused.”
Comment
This is a devastating situation for all those involved, particularly those women who may have suffered fertility issues following their cancer treatment. If their eggs and embryos were affected, they may not have another chance to conceive.
The ongoing investigation into this incident is vital to properly understand whether there was any fault on the part of the clinic in the use of the freezing solution.
How can we help?
If you have any questions about the subjects discussed in this article, please contact a member of our Medical Negligence team which is ranked in Tier One by the independently researched publication, The Legal 500, or another team member in Derby, Leicester, or Nottingham on 0800 024 1976 or via our online form.
Contact us