Fault at NHS clinics risks baby hopes of cancer patients
Frozen eggs and embryos may not survive thawing process
WOMEN may have lost out on the chance to become mothers due to a fault at NHS fertility clinics.
Vials of solution used to freeze eggs and embryos could have been mislabelled, the manufacturer has admitted, which may mean they will not survive thawing.
And a delay in informing women of the problem could have led to them having treatments such as a hysterectomies without realising they were giving up their last chance of motherhood.
US firm Cooper Surgical issued an urgent safety notice about its freezing solution in February 2023.
It said one “lot” of the product “may contain mislabelled vials” which “may impact the viability” of the eggs or embryos.
Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Trust in London used the solution on 136 patients’ eggs and embryos. These include cancer patients who have since had hysterectomies.
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority is probing the incident at Guy’s, where it is understood there were delays to women being notified.
The solution was also used on eggs from one patient at Jessop Fertility, part of Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
HFEA’s Rachel Cutting 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.
“Any patients likely to have been affected will have been notified.”
The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency is also investigating. Embryos and eggs were frozen with the faulty fluid at Guy’s in September and October 2022.
Sarah Norcross, director of fertility charity the Progress Educational Trust, said: “Quality of eggs declines upon reaching a certain age.
“What does seem clear is that there was an appalling delay of around a year between this problem being known about and patients being notified.” Catherine Slattery, a specialist at law firm Irwin Mitchell, said: “We have been contacted by some of the women possibly affected.”
A spokesman for Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust said: “While we did not know about the potential issue at the time eggs or embryos were frozen, this manufacturing issue may adversely impact the chance of egg or embryo survival during thawing. We have contacted all of those who are affected and apologised.
“We are supporting those who may have been impacted.”
Dr Jennifer Hill, medical director at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said the one patient affected “did not require further actions to be taken”.
There was an appalling delay before patients were notified
SARAH NORCROSS HEAD OF FERTILITY CHARITY PET