News and Blog - Page 16

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23
Jun
2020

Should I invest in specialist fertility and family law advice?

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed and disrupted life for us all. It creates new issues, challenges and risks to overcome for those looking to embark on or proceed with plans to have a family, whether naturally or through assisted conception. There is also a greater need to carefully address the issues and implications if a relationship ends or a dispute arises with an ex-partner, parent, donor, surrogate or family member in this evolving landscape.

17
Jun
2020

Coronavirus Regulations for the Storage of Gametes and Embryos

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Statutory Storage Period for Embryos and Gametes) (Coronavirus) Regulations 2020 (Coronavirus Regulations) will come into force on 1st July 2020. These new regulations have been introduced because of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on fertility patients with gametes and embryos in storage. However, they will not apply to all patients with stored eggs, sperm and embryos.

01
Jun
2020

Life and family in the Covid-19 era

The Covid-19 pandemic has been characterised as a public health crisis, resulting in population lockdown and unprecedented restrictions. The scale of disruption, change and loss caused by this global pandemic is only just beginning to unfold. Our response to this emergency has intensified the need for increased centralisation and inter-connection of healthcare and fertility treatment, science and genomics, digital and artificial intelligence technology, economics and law and policy.

23
May
2020

The impact of Covid-19 on family building and life

The global Covid-19 pandemic has changed life as we know it. Its impact has been devastatingly quick. Its effects will profoundly alter the fabric of our society and our relationships and futures with our family and loved-ones, friends and the rest of the world. The inherent uncertainty brought about by Covid-19 is likely to change attitudes and approaches to fertility treatment and family building.

03
May
2020

Coronavirus and law and policy: a family and fertility perspective

The coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic has put national security, healthcare and family centre stage. UK law and policy has adopted a wartime footing that many of us have never witnessed before. It has also brought with it an intense focus on family life. UK law and policy, and the current lockdown, has revolved around the intrinsic link between our family household and our health and well-being in our fight against this deadly virus.

01
May
2020

UK fertility clinics to resume treatment services

The HFEA has announced today (1 May 2020) that UK fertility clinics can from week commencing 11 May 2020 apply to reopen. Clinics must have a COVID-19 treatment commencement strategy in place before they can restart treatment and not all clinics will be able to resume treatment at the same time. This is positive news for fertility patients, some of whom are being severely affected by the temporary suspension of fertility treatment services and ongoing challenges caused by the global Covid-19 pandemic.

27
Apr
2020

UK storage limit for frozen eggs, sperm and embryos extended due to Covid-19 pandemic

On 27 April 2020 the Department of Health and Social Care announced that due to the potential impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on fertility patients, the current 10-year storage limit for embryos and gametes will be extended by two years. This follows the decision to temporarily suspend fertility treatment services in the UK on 15 April 2020 and aims to provide sufficient time for fertility treatment to resume.

16
Apr
2020

A legal watershed: UK Supreme Court awards commercial surrogacy damages

BioNews have published a comment piece by specialist fertility and surrogacy lawyer Louisa Ghevaert on the landmark legal ruling by the UK Supreme Court to award damages for commercial surrogacy. This important judgment helps improve fertility and family building options for victims of medical negligence. It marks a distinct change in UK public policy.

06
Apr
2020

Surrogacy during the Covid-19 pandemic

The global Covid-19 pandemic has drastically changed life as we know it and caused massive disruption. Global travel restrictions are creating all manner of logistical difficulties for intended parents, surrogates and surrogate born children. The halt of fertility treatment and wider uncertainty brought about by the virus creates many legal and wider issues too for those embarking on, or part way, through a surrogacy arrangement.

03
Apr
2020

Fertility Treatment during the Covid-19 pandemic

The Covid-19 crisis has brought about catastrophic disruption and change to all aspects of life. It has hit fertility treatment patients and the fertility sector particularly hard. On 18 March 2020, The British Fertility Society issued guidance for the care of fertility patients during the Covid-19 pandemic. It suspends fertility treatment services at UK fertility clinics, save for urgent fertility preservation cases.

01
Apr
2020

The UK Supreme Court awards damages for commercial surrogacy

A landmark ruling by The UK Supreme Court awards damages to a woman for Californian commercial surrogacy following a delay in detecting cancer in smear tests and biopsies. Leading UK fertility and surrogacy lawyer Louisa Ghevaert provided expert evidence on surrogacy, donor conception and fertility law in this case.

30
Mar
2020

The British Fertility Society’s Modern Families Day 2020

The British Fertility Society's Study Week 2020 will be delivered 'virtually' this year given the Covid-19 pandemic. As part of this virtual study week, Louisa Ghevaert will re-join the panel of expert speakers at its annual Modern Families Day on 15 June 2020 and deliver a session addressing the legal aspects of surrogacy. This virtual Modern Families Day training module is aimed at UK doctors and fertility nurses.

In the News

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Articles & Publications

The latest news on fertility and modern family law

News & Commentary

Louisa discusses her opinion on different topics