Faulty egg-freezing products which affected more than 100 women at a London fertility clinic have also affected a fertility clinic in Sheffield, the fertility regulator has said.
The Human Fertilisation Embryology Authority (HFEA) confirmed that the issue was limited to Guy’s and St Thomas’ Assisted Conception Unit in London, and Jessop Fertility in Sheffield.
But the fertility regulator said it was satisfied that Jessop “undertook a thorough investigation when they first became aware of the issue and contacted and supported any patient affected”.
The statement follows a leading London hospital having apologised to more than 100 women after their eggs and embryos were probably damaged during the freezing process at its NHS-operated clinic.
Guy’s hospital contacted the 136 women after discovering it may have inadvertently used some bottles of a faulty freezing solution in September and October 2022. Among the women were cancer patients who have since undergone treatments such as hysterectomies. The clinic said it did not know the liquid was defective at the time.
Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS foundation trust said the manufacturing issue may adversely affect the chance of a frozen egg or embryo’s survival during thawing.
The spokesperson said: “We were made aware of a manufacturing issue with some bottles of a solution that may have been used to freeze eggs and embryos in our assisted conception unit in September and October 2022.”
Guy’s hospital has contacted those affected and apologised for the delay and any distress the error may have caused.
The HFEA previously said that the incident was being investigated, and said that although they were aware the affected product could have been distributed to other fertility clinics, they were not aware of any other clinics where patients had been affected.
The fertility regulator has since said that the issue is limited to just the two clinics in London and Sheffield.
In a statement, Rachel Cutting, the director of compliance and information at the HFEA, said: “Our ongoing investigation only relates to Guy’s as we are satisfied that Jessop’s undertook a thorough investigation when they first became aware of the issue and contacted and supported any patient affected.
“The company supplying the product directly to clinics will know exactly where it’s gone through their traceability processes. The company is also obliged to report any problems to the MHRA.
“Any patients likely to have been affected will have been notified by their clinic. We hope this provides reassurance to anyone concerned.
“We share Field Safety Notices as required and every clinic is expected to act on the information provided. It is a legal requirement for clinics to report any incident to the HFEA in accordance with our clinical governance procedures, and in line with our code of practice.
“Fertility treatment in the UK is generally very safe, our most recent report shows that out of the almost 100,000 treatment and storage cycles which took place in 2022/23, more than 99% were conducted without any incidents occurring.
“As with any aspect of fertility treatment, more information on support can be found here.”
A spokesperson for the hospital said that its assisted conception unit used the solution in September and October 2022.
Guy’s hospital has now set up a dedicated phone line for any patients affected.
The clinic also said that those affected can seek support through its counselling service.
