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PETBioNewsCommentAn embarrassment of riches

BioNews

An embarrassment of riches

Published 31 January 2013 posted in Comment and appears in BioNews 645

Author

James Lawford Davies

Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
CC0 1.0
Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.

It is evident that the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has succeeded in reducing its costs and operating with greater financial efficiency. This is in part reflected in the remarkable £3.4 million of surplus funds held by the HFEA which was discussed at the recent Authority meeting in January and subsequently reported in the media...

It is evident that the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has succeeded in reducing its costs and operating with greater financial efficiency. This is in part reflected in the remarkable £3.4 million of surplus funds held by the HFEA which was discussed at the recent Authority meeting in January and subsequently reported in the media. The minutes of that meeting acknowledge that this surplus is an 'unusual size', though it has been growing steadily for some time. In last year's published accounts the surplus already stood at £2.58 million, and has clearly continued to grow. It is also apparent that the current year will be the third out of the last four in which the HFEA's cash holdings have exceeded the £0.75 million limit referred to in the minutes of January's Authority meeting.

While financial prudence and frugality in these austere times are to be encouraged, the controversy surrounding the HFEA's hoard stems from the fact that it has been generated through fees paid directly or indirectly by patients. It is true that licence fees have now been reduced significantly, and thus it may be that this trend does not continue. But it is difficult to understand how and why the accumulation of such a stash was allowed to continue when it has long been known that these fees are paid by patients. For the last two years of published accounts, licence fee income has exceeded the costs apportioned to the HFEA's regulatory activities, by 14 percent in 2009/2010 and five percent in 2010/2011.

Why then did the HFEA continue to levy this charge? In a statement to the press, the HFEA suggested the surplus grew as a result of 'prudent' budgeting: the number of treatment cycles (and therefore the income generated by fees) was expected to decline, and so the HFEA built up its reserves. In fact, the number of treatment cycles continued to rise, resulting in a growing surplus for the HFEA. This trend must, however, have become apparent some time ago: £3.4 million is a significant accrual and it is unclear why it was allowed to continue to grow to such a sum.

What should now be done with the treasure trove? There are obvious difficulties with returning the money to clinics and inevitable controversy deciding how it should be spent to 'create benefit for patients' (a proposal suggested in the media). The fertility sector would no doubt be delighted to see fees reduced further in order to save the HFEA from this embarrassment of riches, or indeed a 'holiday' from fees to absorb the surplus and benefit new patients.

The majority of patients still need to fund their own treatment, and for as long as they are levied, the HFEA's fees will continue to form part of this cost - whether overtly or not. Where treatment is funded by the NHS, cash-strapped trusts are paying the licence fees. It follows that the patient or taxpayer coughs up either way. There is no reason why patients and the public cannot now benefit from the sensible use of the HFEA's surplus to further reduce the cost of treatment.

Related Articles

Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
CC0 1.0
Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
Comment
31 January 2013 • 3 minutes read

£3.4 million is a heck of a lot of money!

by Clare Lewis-Jones MBE

I was shocked when I heard the news that the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has built up the princely sum of approximately £3.4 million in its bank account. The HFEA explains that this surplus has arisen over recent years due to prudent budgeting...

PET BioNews
News
23 January 2013 • 2 minutes read

New law empowers UK Government to transfer HFEA's functions

by Sandy Starr

The Public Bodies Bill - which empowers the UK Government to transfer the functions of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), the country's regulator of fertility treatment and embryo research - has received Royal Assent and has become the Public Bodies Act. This Act represents the realisation in statute of the Coalition Government's longstanding plans for a 'bonfire of the quangos'...

Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
CC0 1.0
Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
News
10 January 2013 • 2 minutes read

IVF treatment rises six percent in a year

by Dr Gabby Samuel

There was a six percent rise last year in the number of fertility treatments carried out in the UK, according to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA)...

Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
CC0 1.0
Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
Comment
21 November 2012 • 3 minutes read

IVF is one of the UK's greatest scientific achievements - so why do patients still struggle to access treatment?

by Susan Seenan

Thirty years after the birth of the first IVF baby, you would expect the country that pioneered the technique to lead the world in providing access to fertility treatment. At the very least, the UK would guarantee fair and equitable access for eligible patients. But you would be wrong. Patients across the country are still fighting to get the treatment they deserve...

Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
CC0 1.0
Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
News
20 February 2012 • 2 minutes read

Fertility regulator has amassed a £3.4m cash surplus

by Vicki Kay

The UK's fertility watchdog, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), has amassed cash reserves of around £3.4 million from charges to the clinics it licenses, prompting calls for the money to be given back to those seeking IVF treatment....

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