New HFEA guidance strikes the right balance, says BMA, UK

Main Category: Fertility
Article Date: 06 Nov 2005 - 5:00 PDT

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Commenting on the HFEA's (Human Fertilisation Embryology Authority's) guidance issued today [3 November 2005] for clinics assessing people seeking fertility treatment, the BMA said it was satisfied that the right balance had been struck between the reproductive freedom of those seeking treatment and the professional responsibilities of those who help people to conceive.

While the BMA has always supported the need to take account of the welfare of the child, the Association believes this process should be used to identify the small number of cases where there is evidence that a future child would be at risk of serious harm.

The BMA has been particularly concerned that, based on current HFEA guidance, GPs are frequently asked to speculate and make value judgements about factors such as their patients' fitness to parent.

Dr Michael Wilks, Chairman of the BMA's Medical Ethics Committee said:

"It is important that mechanisms are in place to identify the small number of cases where there is a foreseeable risk of serious harm to a child who would be born as a result of fertility treatment, without intrusive questioning, subjective judgements and unnecessary bureaucracy. In our view, this new guidance, by focussing clearly on the risk factors to be considered and placing the responsibility for assessment more clearly within the remit of the clinics, succeeds in achieving this balance."

http://www.bma.org.uk

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