Fertility authority consults on screening prospective parents to ensur
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《英国医生杂志》
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority抯, the UK regulatory body for assisted conception and human embryo research, has started a consultation on clarifying its guidance on the welfare of children born to patients having infertility treatment.
Fertility clinics are legally obliged to consider the welfare of any future children resulting from assisted conception before giving prospective parents the go-ahead for treatment. This assessment takes account of medical, physical, psychological, and social factors and routinely involves family doctors.
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority抯 guidance on interpreting this aspect of the legislation has not been fully revised since the authority was set up in 1991.
To gauge how well the welfare assessments were working, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority reviewed the findings of its inspections of licensed clinics. These findings had shown considerable variations in clinic practice and widespread dissatisfaction with the current process among staff and patients.
Suzi Leather, the authority抯 chairwoman, acknowledged that, although few patients were refused treatment, "the welfare of the child principle is a very good idea, but it抯 quite difficult to put into practice." Any new guidance had to be "practical, proportionate, and fair," she said.
The consultation will consider the type of inquiries made of prospective parents and whether other professionals should be involved. It will also look at whether the range of risk factors should be changed and whether different types of treatment, such as donor conception, merit different types of assessment.
The government intends to consult on the 1990 Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act this summer, but Suzi Leather emphasised that the current consultation was strictly limited to the assessment concerning the welfare of children. "This consultation doesn抰 question the legislation," she said.
Although the government抯 legislative review is likely to make changes to the welfare assessment, the authority抯 chief executive, Angela McNab, said: "We felt we couldn抰 wait for that as any changes will take some years to put in place." Legislative changes are not expected before 2008.
The government announced last summer its plans to create a new regulatory body for fertility and tissue under its plans to reconfigure the number of "arms length" bodies.
Ms McNab refuted the suggestion that there could be some discrepancy between any changes to the welfare assessment, as a result of the consultation, and current legislation in respect of a child抯 need for a father.
"The child抯 need for a father is in the statute and would still be considered," said Ms McNab. But she added that some of the social factors currently considered during a welfare assessment may change as a result of the consultation.
The consultation exercise, which will run until 7 April, will be accompanied by three public meetings over the next couple of months, the first of which will be held on 23 February in Glasgow. The authority anticipates that its new guidance will be distributed to fertility clinics by the summer.(London Caroline White)
Fertility clinics are legally obliged to consider the welfare of any future children resulting from assisted conception before giving prospective parents the go-ahead for treatment. This assessment takes account of medical, physical, psychological, and social factors and routinely involves family doctors.
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority抯 guidance on interpreting this aspect of the legislation has not been fully revised since the authority was set up in 1991.
To gauge how well the welfare assessments were working, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority reviewed the findings of its inspections of licensed clinics. These findings had shown considerable variations in clinic practice and widespread dissatisfaction with the current process among staff and patients.
Suzi Leather, the authority抯 chairwoman, acknowledged that, although few patients were refused treatment, "the welfare of the child principle is a very good idea, but it抯 quite difficult to put into practice." Any new guidance had to be "practical, proportionate, and fair," she said.
The consultation will consider the type of inquiries made of prospective parents and whether other professionals should be involved. It will also look at whether the range of risk factors should be changed and whether different types of treatment, such as donor conception, merit different types of assessment.
The government intends to consult on the 1990 Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act this summer, but Suzi Leather emphasised that the current consultation was strictly limited to the assessment concerning the welfare of children. "This consultation doesn抰 question the legislation," she said.
Although the government抯 legislative review is likely to make changes to the welfare assessment, the authority抯 chief executive, Angela McNab, said: "We felt we couldn抰 wait for that as any changes will take some years to put in place." Legislative changes are not expected before 2008.
The government announced last summer its plans to create a new regulatory body for fertility and tissue under its plans to reconfigure the number of "arms length" bodies.
Ms McNab refuted the suggestion that there could be some discrepancy between any changes to the welfare assessment, as a result of the consultation, and current legislation in respect of a child抯 need for a father.
"The child抯 need for a father is in the statute and would still be considered," said Ms McNab. But she added that some of the social factors currently considered during a welfare assessment may change as a result of the consultation.
The consultation exercise, which will run until 7 April, will be accompanied by three public meetings over the next couple of months, the first of which will be held on 23 February in Glasgow. The authority anticipates that its new guidance will be distributed to fertility clinics by the summer.(London Caroline White)