Scottish IVF clinics given green light to reopen after ‘difficult’ time

Scotland’s four IVF clinics have been given the green light to reopen during the coronavirus lockdown.

The clinics, based in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Glasgow, can now begin contacting patients after their application to restart fertility treatments was granted by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) yesterday.

The decision comes after IVF treatment was paused in all NHS and private facilities across the UK in March as a precautionary measure, followed by a formal requirement to cease provision from

HFEA on 1 May. Clinics will now have to work with NHS Scotland to ensure all services are able to resume in a safe and timely way.

Public health minister Joe Fitzpatrick said: “This is extremely welcoming news and will provide much needed comfort and reassurance to worried patients across Scotland.

“The Scottish Government wants to reassure patients that we are working with the four IVF centres, alongside the leading patient stakeholder group Fertility Network, to ensure all services resume in a safe and timely way.

“I also want to reassure those women who are close to the upper age limit for NHS IVF, that they will not be disadvantaged and subject to a clinical assessment. They will still continue to receive treatment.

“Scotland has the most generous and fairest NHS IVF treatment in the UK and we want to ensure clinics are able to contact patients as quickly as we can safely do so.”

Fertility Network chief executive Gwenda Burns said: “This has been an extremely difficult and distressing time for patients and we welcome the news that clinics have approval to resume services by the HFEA.

“We are working closely with clinics.”