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Frequently asked questions

Going through fertility treatment is complex and is often an emotional time. There is a lot of information to digest and so many things to consider, so you’ll understandably have questions. This page provides answers to the most frequently asked questions (FAQs) and includes links to where you can find further information on this website.

Please read the information below and on the relevant pages on our website carefully before contacting us. If your query hasn’t been answered in the FAQs, or in the information on the website, then you can contact the Enquiries team via email (enquiriesteam@hfea.gov.uk). We don’t provide information over the phone and all enquiries must be submitted via email. This inbox is monitored 9am-5pm Monday to Friday.

  • You may also find it useful to use the A-Z fertility glossary on our website to find the definition of key terminology that you might come across during fertility treatment.
  • The HFEA is not a medical organisation and does not provide or fund any medical services. Therefore, we cannot offer any medical advice to patients. To discuss any medical results or procedures, or for any specific questions about your fertility treatment, you will need to speak to a medical professional such as your GP or clinician.
  • The HFEA is not a legal organisation and therefore we cannot provide individualised legal advice to patients.

Table of contents

Starting fertility treatment and choosing a fertility clinic

I would like to start fertility treatment and find a clinic local to me. How do I do this?

Starting fertility treatment can feel like a daunting process. However, there are lots of useful resources and support on our website to help with getting started.

For an overview of fertility treatment options, you may find the Explore fertility treatments page of our website useful. Here you can find information about:

  • The types of fertility treatment available
  • What to think about before you begin fertility treatment
  • What to expect when you visit a clinic
  • Fertility treatment funding options
  • The potential risks of fertility treatment

On the Choose a fertility clinic page of our website there is a video animation that outlines how to choose the best clinic for you, while explaining how you can navigate your way through the detailed statistics each clinic displays.

On the Fertility clinic search page of our website you can search for licensed clinics by location and treatment offered. Once you have narrowed down the clinics offering treatment in a location that suits you, we advise you to contact the clinics directly to assess which clinic is best for you.

We understand that accessing fertility treatment can be very difficult and on our website we have some information about getting emotional support that may be of help. For further support, you may wish to visit the Fertility Network UK website, which has some helpful resources and information.

Does the HFEA offer any specific guidance for a transgender person seeking fertility treatment?

We have general information on our website for transgender people seeking fertility treatment. This page includes links to other organisations who offer more tailored support and advice.

We also recommend reading the page on our website about fertility preservation.

We understand that seeking fertility treatment can be very difficult and on our website we have some information about getting emotional support that may be helpful.

Does the HFEA offer any specific guidance for a same sex couple seeking fertility treatment?

We have general information on our website for LGBT+ people seeking fertility treatment. This page includes links to other organisations who offer more tailored support and advice.

We also recommend reading the page on our website about fertility preservation.

We understand that seeking fertility treatment can be very difficult and on our website we have some information about getting emotional support that may be helpful.

Does the HFEA offer any specific guidance for a solo/single parent seeking fertility treatment?

We have general information on our website for single women seeking fertility treatment. This page includes links other organisations who offer more tailored support and advice.

We also recommend reading the page on our website about fertility preservation.

We understand that seeking fertility treatment can be very difficult and on our website we have some information about getting emotional support that may be of help.

I am considering getting fertility treatment abroad. Can the HFEA advise me on this?

General information on seeking fertility treatment abroad can be found on fertility treatment abroad page on our website.

As the UK regulator we are unable to offer any advice about treatment that takes place outside the UK, so are unable to advise you on treatment abroad.

I am considering home insemination. Can the HFEA advise me on this?

The HFEA is not a medical organisation and does not provide or fund any medical services. Therefore, we cannot offer any medical advice.

It is important to be aware that the HFEA only regulates fertility treatment that takes place within a UK licensed fertility clinic. This means that home insemination is outside of our regulatory remit. However, we recommend that all fertility treatment takes place within a UK licensed fertility clinic.

Clinics in the UK are required by law to ensure that donors, patients, and any future children are protected by carrying out rigorous health tests; ensuring that everyone involved is offered counselling; and ensuring that legal parenthood matters are correctly managed.

You can find further information on the home insemination with donor sperm page of our website. This page also includes information about the potential risks involved with home insemination. For example, if you’re a single patient or in a same sex couple and you’re not married or in a civil partnership, the donor will be considered the legal parent of any children you might have. This will give them rights over, and responsibilities for, your child. Having treatment at a licensed clinic will ensure that the donor is not a legal parent to your child and that your partner (if you have one) is recognised as the second legal parent.

We have further information on our website that may be helpful, including on sperm donation and the law and legal parenthood. We strongly recommend that patients who are unsure about legal parenthood seek independent legal advice.

We would recommend discussing treatment with regulated donor sperm further with a licensed fertility clinic. You can search for licensed clinics by location and treatment using the fertility clinic search page on our website.

For further support and information, you may wish to visit the Fertility Network UK or the Donor Conception Network websites.

I would like to find out about a clinic’s success rates. Where can I find this information?

To find out about a clinic’s specific success rates, please visit our Choose a Fertility Clinic page. This page gives general advice on the factors that many patients find important when choosing their clinic, including an explanation of how to interpret the data and what the pregnancy/birth rates might mean to you. On each clinic’s ‘Choose a Fertility Clinic’ information page you can find general information on the clinic, including inspection reports, patient feedback, and statistics.

Why are the clinic statistics provided not up to date for the current year?

On the Choose a fertility clinic page of our website there is a video animation that outlines how to choose the best clinic for you, while explaining how you can navigate your way through the detailed statistics each clinic displays.

When comparing success rates between clinics, the most important thing to focus on is whether a clinic’s success rates are consistent with the national average – differences of a few percentage points are often down to chance and, while success rates can be helpful, they do not necessarily indicate an individual’s chances of success.

We usually publish data two years following the treatment. This allows time for a birth to have occurred and the clinic to have reported the data and made sure it is accurate. However, owing to large-scale work to move our data to an upgraded database, and delays to receiving data due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the data from 2020-2021 has not yet been thoroughly checked for accuracy. We currently estimate that this work will be completed by Winter 2024.

We recommend that you speak to a licensed fertility clinic to understand your personal chances of success based on treatment type, personal circumstances, and medical history.

What is the HFEA dashboard, and how do I use it?

Our dashboard gives you the opportunity to explore HFEA data and find statistics on your own areas of interest. The dashboard enables you to access UK-wide data held by the HFEA on fertility treatments. You can customise how you view the data by several categories.

On the HFEA dashboard page of our website there is a detailed explanation, including a video, on how to access and use the dashboard effectively. This page also contains a separate list of detailed frequently asked questions (FAQs) on the dashboard. These FAQs are not repeated here.

Fertility treatment eligibility criteria

Can I receive NHS funding for fertility treatment? How do I find out if I am eligible?

The HFEA does not have any powers over the cost of treatment or funding decisions and cannot offer advice on how to access funding. For information about funding for fertility treatment, please see the Costs and funding section of our website.

Your eligibility to receive NHS funding for fertility treatment (and how much) depends on where in the UK you live. Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland each have a set of criteria while in England the decision is made locally by Integrated Care Boards (ICBs). The government has published information about the NHS funding policies for IVF in each area of England (each ICB's IVF funding policy).

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes recommendations on the diagnosis and treatment of fertility problems which apply to England and Wales. This includes guidance on which fertility treatments should be provided (through the NHS or privately), and to whom. However, these are only recommendations, and ICBs in England make their own decisions about which fertility treatments are provided, to whom, and how funding is allocated.

More information about NHS funding for fertility treatments across the UK can be found on the NHS Funding page of the Fertility Network UK website.

The Fertility Network UK website also highlights how you can write to your ICB to appeal if you are struggling to access NHS treatment or have been told you are not eligible by your clinic.

Are there restrictions on who can access fertility treatment based on age?

The HFEA is not a medical organisation, and therefore we do not set requirements on who should or should not be treated according to medical reasons, including age limits. There are no age limits for fertility treatment in UK law. However, individual clinics may have their own policies relating to age limits. The decision on whether someone of a certain age can be offered fertility treatment should be made by a clinician, based on your personal circumstances and medical history.

As each clinic has its own eligibility parameters for treatment, we would recommend you contact individual clinics to enquire about whether they can offer treatment. On the Fertility clinic search page of our website you can search for licensed clinics by location and the type of treatment offered. If you use the ‘compare’ tool on the website, the table will show which clinics you are comparing have an upper age limit for treatment. Each clinic page contains contact details so you can get in touch with them directly to discuss your options.

Your eligibility to receive NHS funding for fertility treatment (and how much) depends on where in the UK you live. Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland each have a set of criteria while in England the decision is made locally by Integrated Care Boards (ICBs). The government has published information about the NHS funding policies for IVF in each area of England (each ICB's IVF funding policy). This page includes information about age criteria in each ICB’s funding policy. However, we recommend that you refer to your ICB’s full funding policy for the most up to date and complete information on access criteria. Additionally, it is important to note that the requirements might be different for privately funded fertility treatment, in accordance with each clinic’s own parameters.

We recommend that you read the page on our website that contains further information for women aged over 38. More information about NHS funding for fertility treatments across the UK can also be found on the NHS Funding page of the Fertility Network UK website.

Are there restrictions on who can access fertility treatment based on body mass index (BMI)?

The HFEA is not a medical organisation, and therefore we do not set requirements on who should or should not be treated according to medical reasons, including body mass index (BMI). There are no limits based on BMI for fertility treatment in UK law. However, individual clinics may have their own policies relating to BMI. The decision on whether someone of can be offered fertility treatment should be made by a clinician, based on your personal circumstances and medical history.

As each clinic has its own eligibility parameters for treatment, we would recommend you contact individual clinics to enquire about whether they can offer treatment. On the Fertility clinic search page of our website you can search for licenced clinics by location and treatment offered. Each clinic page contains contact details so you can get in touch with the clinic directly to discuss your options.

At the end of each clinic profile there is a section titled ‘clinic details’. Under this section there is an ‘eligibility’ section. Some clinics list BMI as an eligibility criterion, and some do not. Each clinic page contains contact details so you can get in touch with the clinic directly to discuss your options.

Your eligibility to receive NHS funding for fertility treatment (and how much) depends on where in the UK you live. Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland each have a set of criteria while in England the decision is made locally by Integrated Care Boards (ICBs). The government has published information about the NHS funding policies for IVF in each area of England (each ICB's IVF funding policy). To be eligible for NHS funded IVF in England, most ICBs require an individual seeking fertility treatment to have a BMI of between 19 and 30. However, we recommend that you refer to your ICB’s full funding policy for the most up to date and complete information on access criteria. Additionally, it is important to note that the requirements might be different for privately funded fertility treatment, in accordance with each clinic’s own parameters.

More information about NHS funding for fertility treatments across the UK can be found on the NHS Funding page of the Fertility Network UK website.

Screening and fertility treatment

What is pre-implantation genetic testing for monogenic disorders (PGT-M), and is it suitable for me?

Pre-implantation genetic testing for monogenic disorders (PGT-M) enables people with an inheritable condition in their family to avoid passing it on to their children. It involves checking the genes and/or chromosomes of embryos created through IVF.

Information about PGT-M can be found on this page of our website. A list of approved conditions that PGT-M can be used for can be found here.

You can find a clinic in the UK that offers PGT-M using the Choose a fertility clinic page of our website. If you click ‘fine tune your search’, you can select clinics that offer PGT-M. However, you may wish to discuss this first with your genetic counsellor who may refer you for PGT-M at one of these licensed clinics.

We do not provide or fund any medical services and therefore cannot offer any medical advice on an individual case. You will need to speak to a medical professional such as your GP or clinician. They will be able to advise you based on your personal circumstances and medical history. You could also speak to your Regional Clinic Genetics Service regarding your situation. You can find a list or Regional Clinic Genetics Services here.

What is pre-implantation tissue typing (PTT), also known as ‘saviour siblings’, and is it suitable for me?

Pre-implantation tissue typing (PTT) is a type of embryo testing that can be used in the treatment of children with life-limiting blood disorders.

The best available treatment for children with these illnesses usually involves a transfusion of stem cells from a tissue-matched donor, ideally a close relative. Where a close relative isn’t available, parents can choose to have another child and use PTT treatment to only select embryos that are an exact tissue match to their older sibling. It’s for this reason that PTT is sometimes referred to as ‘saviour siblings’ technology.

Information about PTT can be found on this page of our website.

We do not provide or fund any medical services and therefore cannot offer any medical advice on an individual case. You will need to speak to a medical professional such as your GP or clinician. They will be able to advise you based on your personal circumstances and medical history.

What are the screening requirements for my partner if they are not providing either eggs or sperm to create new embryos for use in my current treatment cycle?

There are situations where you may be undergoing fertility treatment with a partner who is not providing fresh eggs or sperm for use in your current treatment cycle. This could be if you are undergoing transfer of frozen embryos that are already in storage, or if you are using donor eggs or sperm. In this situation, when your partner is not providing fresh eggs or sperm for use in your current treatment cycle, your partner is not required to be screened as part of your current treatment cycle.

However, if your partner is providing fresh eggs or sperm for use in your current treatment cycle, and more than two years has passed since they last provided their eggs or sperm for your treatment, it will be necessary for your partner to be re-screened.

We are aware that some clinics request additional screening for the partner (excluding donors) even where they are not providing eggs or sperm for that cycle of treatment. This is something clinics may have their own policies on, in addition to HFEA guidance. Where a clinic requests additional tests, we would expect them to provide patients and their partners with proper information, and to explain that such tests are in addition to what is required by law and guidance. Clinics should ensure that any additional screening is warranted by best practice guidance.

As we are not a medical organisation, we are unable to give specific advice on the tests that may be required as part of your treatment. For any questions about your treatment, we suggest you speak to your clinic in the first instance. Your clinic should contact their HFEA inspector if they have any questions about the screening requirements.

Fertility preservation

What is the difference between using frozen eggs and using frozen embryos for fertility treatment?

Egg freezing involves collecting a woman’s eggs, freezing them and then thawing them later for use in fertility treatment. Eggs that have been frozen and thawed must be fertilised using a fertility treatment called intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). This is because the freezing process makes the outer coating around the eggs tougher, and sperm may be unable to penetrate it naturally during in vitro fertilisation (IVF). More information about using frozen eggs for fertility treatment can be found on the egg freezing page of our website.

Embryo freezing involves freezing embryos (eggs that have already been fertilised with sperm) that have been created using in vitro fertilisation (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Embryos can be frozen for use in the future, for example, in case treatment doesn’t work, to try for a sibling, or to preserve fertility. More information about freezing embryos can be found on the embryo freezing page of our website.

You can find out more information about preserving your fertility on the fertility preservation page of our website. You may also find it useful to use the A-Z fertility glossary on our website to find the definition of key terminology that you might come across during fertility treatment.

I would like to find out about the success rates of using frozen eggs or embryos for IVF (for example, because I am considering freezing my eggs or embryos). Is there information available on this?

The research and data page on our website includes links to our latest reports on the information we collect on fertility treatment. These reports explain the most up-to-date data regarding UK-wide IVF success rates. Data is available on IVF pregnancy and birth rates using fresh embryos by patient age. Data is also available on IVF pregnancy and birth rates using frozen embryos.

However, we cannot provide accurate success rate data by patient age for IVF cycles using frozen eggs or embryos. The age of the patient at the time of egg or embryo freezing will have the greatest impact on success rates during thawing cycles. Due to how our data is stored, we cannot reliably link the age of the patient at the time of egg or embryo freezing to their age when they had IVF treatment. Therefore, it is not possible to provide accurate success rate data for IVF success rates using frozen eggs or embryos by patient age.

When considering egg or embryo freezing, we recommend looking at the success rates by age for IVF cycles using fresh embryos (a fresh embryo transfer is one that occurs soon after egg collection).

You can find further information on freezing your eggs, sperm, embryos or reproductive tissue on the fertility preservation page of our website.

Storing and moving eggs, sperm, or embryos

I would like to move eggs, sperm, or embryos between two clinics in the UK. How do I do this and how long will it take?

If you have eggs, sperm or embryos stored in one licensed UK clinic, and you want to have treatment at another licensed UK clinic, it is possible for your material to be moved. You will need to discuss this further with your current clinic and ask if they can make the required arrangements. If your clinic has told you that it is not possible to transfer the material, we would recommend you ask the clinic to explain the reasons for this.

If you can transfer the material to a different licensed UK clinic, it is likely that this process would incur a cost to you. As we do not regulate the cost of treatment, we are unable to advise on how much this would be. We would recommend speaking with both clinics regarding the costs of transportation. You will also need to speak to your clinic about timescale, as this will likely depend on various factors specific to your clinic and to your personal circumstances.

To find a suitable fertility clinic to transfer the material to and have treatment at, please see the fertility clinic search page of our website. General information about importing or exporting eggs, sperm and embryos can be found on our website.

I would like to move eggs, sperm, or embryos from the UK to another country, or from another country into the UK. How do I do this and how long will this take?

Under strict circumstances, it is possible to move eggs, sperm, or embryos into or out of the UK, providing the import or export is to, or from, a licenced UK clinic. General information about importing or exporting eggs, sperm and embryos can be found on our website.

While UK clinics must comply with HFEA guidance when importing or exporting eggs, sperm, or embryos, it is the clinic that carries out the import or export. This means that you will need to speak to a clinic in the UK to arrange importing or exporting eggs, sperm, or embryos. Please note that not every fertility clinic offers import and export services, and that clinics providing import and export services may charge for it.

Please be aware that because of the UK leaving the European Union (EU), different import and export rules apply based on whether your clinic is in Great Britain or Northern Ireland.

Several criteria need to be met for an import or export to take place. These are set out in our Directions (rules to ensure procedures and practices are carried out properly). Which Direction applies will depend on where in the UK the clinic is based (Great Britain or Northern Ireland).

Your UK fertility clinic will need to review the criteria listed in the Direction and consider whether they can be met. If the criteria can be met, then the import or export can take place. If the UK fertility clinic cannot meet the criteria, then the export/import cannot take place. However, if the fertility clinic considers it appropriate, they can make an application to the HFEA for Special Directions (special permission). On completion of an application form, the relevant committee of the HFEA will review it and decide whether to allow the import/export to take place. There is further information on applying for special directions on our website.

For any specific questions, including timescales, you will need to speak to your clinician as this will likely depend on various factors specific to your clinic and to your personal circumstances. Your clinic should speak to their HFEA inspector if they have any questions about processing your application.

As the HFEA only regulates within the UK, we are unable to comment on additional restrictions that clinics in other countries may have regarding importing or exporting eggs, sperm or embryos, or their regulations regarding fertility treatment. If you are thinking about going overseas for treatment, there is further information available on the fertility treatment abroad page of our website.

Treatment add-ons

My clinic is offering me a treatment add-on. How do I find out information about the add-on?

Treatment add-ons often claim to be effective at improving the chances of having a baby (live birth rate), but the evidence to support this for most fertility patients is usually missing or unreliable. Treatment add-ons are likely to involve an additional cost, on top of the cost of a routine cycle of proven fertility treatment.

The HFEA provides impartial information to patients on treatment add-ons. We have a list of commonly offered add-ons on our website. Each listed add-on is allocated a rating to reflect the quality and amount of evidence on whether the add-on is safe and effective. The ratings are decided by the Scientific and Clinical Advances Advisory Committee and an independent expert reviewer of the quality of evidence.

Your clinic has a statutory obligation to provide information on any treatments offered. Your clinic should provide you with evidence about the effectiveness of the add-on and will be best placed to advise you on your situation. You can find a list of suggested questions to ask your clinic about treatment add-ons on the preparing for IVF page of our website.

We do not provide or fund any medical services and therefore cannot offer any medical advice. We would encourage you to discuss the treatment add-on with either your GP or a clinician at a licensed UK fertility clinic. They will be best placed to advise you on which treatment would be appropriate for you, based on your medical history and personal circumstances.

For further support, you may find that Fertility Network UK have some helpful resources.

Medical queries

I have a medical query (for example, about a treatment or procedure, or about interpretation of test or scan results). Who should I speak to about this?

The HFEA is not a medical organisation and does not provide or fund any medical services. Therefore, we cannot offer any medical advice to patients. To discuss any medical results or procedures, or for any specific questions about your fertility treatment, you will need to speak to a medical professional such as your GP or clinician. They will be able to advise you based on your personal circumstances and medical history.

Donation

I want to become an egg, sperm, or embryo donor. How do I check if I am eligible to donate and what are the screening requirements? What can any resulting children from my donation find out about me?

To find out general information about donating sperm, eggs, or embryos, please visit the donors page of our website.

You can also visit the following pages on our website to find further information on sperm donation, egg donation and sharing, and embryo donation. These pages explain some of the criteria that define your eligibility to donate (such as age limits) and donor compensation.

For information on the screening tests required to become a donor, we would recommend you speak to your chosen fertility clinic. They will be able to provide individual advice according to your medical history and person circumstances.

To apply to become a donor you will need to choose a clinic. Our choose a Fertility Clinic page might help you do this. You will be able to search for fertility clinics by postcode, and if you click ‘fine tune your search’, you can search exclusively for clinics that are recruiting egg and sperm donors.

It is not possible to donate your sperm, eggs, or embryos anonymously in the UK. This means that when a child conceived using donated sperm, eggs or embryos reaches 18 years old, they will be able to request identifying information about their donor, including their name and last known address. For information on what donor-conceived people can find out about their donors, please see the rules around releasing donor information page of our website.

I am a donor, donor-conceived person, or parent(s) of a donor conceived person, and I want to find out more information about accessing identifiable information about donors. Where can I find this?

To find out more information about your donor and genetic siblings, you can visit the finding out about your donor and genetic siblings page on our website.

There is also a page on our website that contains a separate list of detailed frequently asked questions (FAQs) for donors, donor-conceived people and their parents. These FAQs are not repeated here.

I am a donor, and I would like to update my contact details. How do I do this?

If you are an identifiable donor (someone who donated after 1st April 2005) the simplest method of updating your contact details is by informing the clinic where you registered and donated, who will submit this information to the HFEA. This option may be preferable for you as it’s possible that the clinic may not require proof of address to be submitted in the manner we do. You can find current contact details for your clinic using the 'choose a fertility clinic' page of our website.

If your clinic is now closed, please complete the 'updating your details with the HFEA’ online form to update your address on the Register directly with us. We require proof of address dated within the last 6 months to be uploaded directly via the electronic form.

In addition to updating your address, you can also choose to provide your email address and/or phone number. You can then suggest to the donor-conceived people who receive your information in the future which method of contact you would prefer in the first instance. It is important to note that:

  • These are additional contact details to be released to a donor-conceived person. They will be released in addition to your postal address, not instead of your postal address.
  • The donor-conceived person who receives your details is not obligated to use the method of contact you have recorded as your preferred method.

For further questions related to making an Opening the Register application, please see the frequently asked questions (FAQs) for donors, donor-conceived people and their parents page on our website, or contact the Donor Information team directly at opening.theregister@hfea.gov.uk.

Surrogacy

Can the HFEA provide me with guidance relating to surrogacy?

The HFEA do not regulate surrogacy. Therefore, the information we can provide is limited. However, we do have a page on our website about surrogacy that includes some general information. This page also includes links to other organisations such as Surrogacy UK or Fertility Network UK who may be able to give further information.

The HFEA is not a legal organisation and therefore we cannot provide individualised legal advice to patients. Legal parenthood is a complex area of the law, and we would encourage anyone with questions around legal parenthood to speak to their clinic or seek independent legal advice.

For general information about legal parenthood, or for concerns about yours or your partner’s legal parenthood status, the becoming the legal parents of your child page of our website gives an overview of the consent procedures involved in becoming the legal parent of a child.

Your clinic should provide you with information on which forms need to be completed, and be able to answer any questions you have when filling these in.

Complaints

I would like to raise a complaint about a clinic. How do I do this?

General information about making a complaint can be found on the Making a complaint about a fertility clinic page on our website.

You may also want to visit the Action Against Medical Accidents website, which is an organisation who can give you free and impartial advice about the complaint process, both NHS and private. For further resources and information, you may wish to visit the Fertility Network UK website.

We understand that accessing fertility treatment can be very difficult and on our website we have some information about getting emotional support that may be of help.

I have raised a complaint with my clinic, but they are unresponsive. When can I escalate my complaint to the HFEA?

Our complaints procedure can be found on the Making a complaint about a fertility clinic page on our website. It states that we expect patients to complain to their clinic directly in the first instance, and to have exhausted their clinic’s complaints procedure before contacting the HFEA. We do not provide legal advice, nor can we intervene on your behalf or require your clinic to provide you with a refund or compensation.

If after having exhausted your clinic’s complaints procedure you remain dissatisfied, then you can escalate your complaint to the HFEA. To do this, please send the details of your complaint, as well as any correspondence with your clinic about your complaint to the Enquiries Team (enquiriesteam@hfea.gov.uk).

I would like to raise a complaint against the HFEA. How do I do this?

If you wish to complain about the way the HFEA has performed any aspect of its role, we have a formal process for handling such complaints. Full details on this process can be found in our complaints policy.

Your first step should be to put your complaint in writing by downloading and completing our complaints form. Using this form when making your complaint will help you to set out the information that we need to investigate your complaint properly.

Your complaint should be addressed to the Head of Planning and Governance and sent to us at the following email address: governance@hfea.gov.uk.

We aim to acknowledge all complaints within five working days of receipt. The acknowledgment will give you the name and contact details of the person who will be responsible for responding to you.

You can find more information on the making a complaint about us page on our website.

Multiple births

What is the HFEA policy around multiple births?

For many years multiple pregnancies and births have been the single biggest health risk of fertility treatment for both patients and babies. It increases the risk of stillbirth, neonatal death and disability in children born. It also increases the risk of dangerous complications to the mother, such as late miscarriage, high blood pressure and pre-eclampsia. For further information, please see our campaign to reduce multiple births page of our website.

The HFEA has in place a Multiple Births policy that requires all licensed treatment centres to have a documented strategy that sets out how centres intend to reduce their annual multiple birth rates, and to ensure that they do not exceed HFEA-set maximum multiple birth rates. These strategies must include criteria on single embryo transfer. You can read about our guidance and strategy to minimise multiple births in our Code of Practice (Guidance note 7) and in the Multiple Births Directions 0003.

We do not specify any mandatory criteria for single embryo transfer, as judgement about eligibility for a single embryo transfer is a matter for a clinician to discuss with each individual patient. In general, a clinician is likely to decide to transfer one embryo when they think that a patient has a good chance of getting pregnant. The decision is ultimately a clinical one, based on the circumstances of the case.

If you have any questions about multiple pregnancies in relation to your own fertility treatment, please discuss this with a clinician at a licensed fertility clinic. They will be able to advise you based on your personal circumstances and medical history.

COVID-19

Where can I find information relating to COVID-19 and fertility treatments?

We previously published a page on our website that contains frequently asked questions for patients on COVID-19, including about vaccination. However, this page is no longer being actively updated.

The NHS has also published some information about pregnancy and COVID-19 that you may find useful.

For any specific questions about COVID-19 and your fertility treatment, you will need to speak to a medical professional such as your GP or clinician. They will be able to advise you based on your personal circumstances and medical history.

Review date: 8 February 2026