Assisted Reproduction Registries and Reporting
RRM Academy Synopsis
Licensed UK fertility clinics reported 792 incidents in 2024/25
UK clinics reported 792 incidents in 2024/25, up 36% from 581, according to the annual report of the UK regulator, the HFEA, on licensed fertility clinics. About 8 out of 1,000 cycles at licensed clinics led to a reported incident. The report also summarizes inspections, complaints and patient feedback.
Key Findings
- Clinics reported 792 incidents in 2024/25, up 36% from the 581 in 2023/24. Grade C incidents, the least serious grade (minor harm), rose from 289 to 443 (+53%).
- Clinics reported no Grade A incidents, the most serious grade, in 2024/25, against one the previous year. Grade B incidents numbered 224, 22 more than the previous financial year.
- UK clinics reported 67 severe and critical cases of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), a reaction to fertility drugs. None of these cases related to egg donors.
- The HFEA completed 88 inspections, down from 104, and identified 131 non-compliances, down from 226: 63 major, 62 other and six critical. The average fell to 1.5 per inspection.
- Around 2,500 patients gave feedback on clinics, around 5% of patients. Of these, 84% were likely to recommend their clinic, and 95% reported that they were treated with privacy and dignity.
Interpretation
The HFEA report gives counts and percentages for inspections, incidents, complaints and patient feedback. Clinics report their own incidents. The HFEA says the rise could partly reflect clinics reporting more diligently after two high-profile incidents in 2023/24. Reporting patterns can also vary between clinics. Treatment figures come from preliminary 2023 register data, because a database migration delayed checks. The report gives no live birth rates.
RRM Context
Restorative reproductive medicine (RRM) asks why conception is not happening and works to find and treat that cause. IVF bypasses the reproductive system without resolving the cause, so the couple remains infertile after the procedure. The report describes safety across clinic operations that include IVF. It records no diagnosis of why a couple was infertile.
Abstract
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) publishes The Fertility Sector 2024/25, an annual publication on HFEA licensed clinics covering 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025. The report, formerly titled State of the sector, summarises the HFEA's regulatory work during the year, with sections on inspections, non-compliances, clinic licences, incidents, Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS), patient complaints and patient feedback. The report states that the HFEA completed 88 inspections in 2024/25 and that 141 clinics were licensed, 107 of them to provide fertility treatment. The report also states that 792 incidents were reported to the HFEA in 2024/25, compared with 581 in 2023/24, and that UK licensed clinics reported 67 cases of severe and critical OHSS.
Read the guide
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ART Registries and Codes of Practice: A Reference for Patients and Clinicians
A global reference to national IVF registries (HFEA, RTAC, ANZARD, Q-IVF, CDC, DIR, JSOG, CARTR Plus, REDLARA, ESHRE EIM, ICMART) and the codes of practice that govern fertility clinics. What each measures, and what they miss.
