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‘Devastating’ fault at London clinic may have damaged eggs of more than 100 women
Patients have only recently been told their eggs and embryos may not survive the thawing process if they were frozen with the faulty solution
More than 100 women who had their eggs frozen at a leading NHS clinic have been told that they may have been damaged due to a fault in the freezing process.
The assisted conception unit at Guy’s hospital in London said it may have inadvertently used some bottles of a faulty freezing solution in September and October 2022. However, it said it did not know the liquid was defective at the time.
Many of the 136 women affected have subsequently had cancer treatment since having their eggs or embryos frozen, which may have left them infertile, The Times reported.
The patients have only recently been told their eggs and embryos may not survive the thawing process if they were frozen with the faulty solution.
The fertility regulator, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), is investigating.
It said a safety notice about the faulty freezing solution was issued by the authority to all clinics in February last year. However, this was several months after bottles from a faulty batch were used at Guy’s hospital’s assisted conception unit.
HFEA described the investigation at Guy’s hospital as “ongoing”, adding that it would take “any further action required”.
The regulator said that faulty egg-freezing products had also affected Jessop Fertility in Sheffield, but it said it was satisfied that Jessop “undertook a thorough investigation when they first became aware of the issue and contacted and supported any patient affected”.
“The HFEA can confirm that this issue is limited to two clinics in the UK: Guy’s and St Thomas’ Assisted Conception Unit, London and Jessop Fertility, Sheffield,” said Rachel Cutting, director of compliance and information at the HFEA, in a statement.
“Our ongoing investigation only relates to Guy’s as we are satisfied that Jessop’s undertook a thorough investigation when they first became aware of the issue and contacted and supported any patient affected.
“The company supplying the product directly to clinics will know exactly where it’s gone through their traceability processes. The company is also obliged to report any problems to the MHRA.”
“Any patients likely to have been affected will have been notified by their clinic. We hope this provides reassurance to anyone concerned.
“Fertility treatment in the UK is generally very safe. Our most recent report shows that out of the almost 100,000 treatment and storage cycles which took place in 2022/23, more than 99 per cent were conducted without any incidents occurring.”
Dr Piraye Yurttas Beim, researcher in molecular biology and embryology and founder of Celmatix, told Femtech World: “This is a reminder that the safest place for a woman’s eggs is in her own ovaries and not a freezer.
“Women lose their ovaries far too frequently due to a lack of diagnostics that would allow earlier detection of ovarian cancer and also due to ovarian damage from chemotherapy.
“Creating a new standard of care that protects ovarian function for women undergoing cancer treatment is a big focus for us at Celmatix. These stories are both heartbreaking and also a reminder of why we come to work everyday.”
Dr Cristina Hickman, a consultant clinical embryologist, lecturer at Imperial College London and co-founder of Ovom Care, said: “As an embryologist, I was devastated to learn of the unfortunate incident that has come to light at Guy’s hospital.
“Despite our best efforts to uphold the highest standards of care, incidents do occur, even if rarely. These errors, while rare, profoundly impact patients and the dedicated embryologists who strive to fulfil the shared goal of helping families conceive.
“It’s devastating news for those affected and they have our full support and we should wait to learn more from the professional team investigating this incident.
“But we must also recognise the tireless efforts of embryologists, who bear the weight of this responsibility and work diligently to maintain a low error rate.
“As fertility professionals, it’s our duty to utilise the most advanced tools available to minimise any risks that could affect our patients’ chances of having a baby. By embracing innovation and continually improving our practices, we can ensure that incidents like these become even rarer in the future.”
Sarah Norcross, director of the Progress Educational Trust (PET), commented: “It will be distressing for women with frozen eggs to learn that, due to problems outside their control, their eggs may not survive the thawing process.
“When a woman freezes her eggs, time is of the essence. In all cases, the quality of eggs declines upon reaching a certain age. Additionally, in cases where women are freezing eggs for medical reasons – for example, imminent cancer treatment – they will not want their treatment to be delayed.
“If women affected by this incident have undergone medical treatment which has compromised their fertility, then their opportunity to have a biologically related child may have been lost.
“If women affected by this incident had sought to extend their reproductive choices by freezing their eggs, then they too may have lost their best opportunity to have a family, if the quality of their eggs has declined during the period that has elapsed.”
She added: “We still do not know all the details of why this incident occurred. Hopefully, further details will be forthcoming. What does seem clear is that there was an appalling delay of around a year between this problem being known about, and affected patients being notified. Apparently, there are also some patients with frozen embryos who are similarly affected.
“We need to understand more about what precisely has gone wrong, and what the relevant regulators – including the HFEA and the MHRA – are doing about it. We also need reassurance, from regulators and clinics alike, that processes are in place to notify patients in a timely way when things go wrong.”
Becky Kearns, chief executive at Fertility Network UK, told Femtech World: “We are heartbroken to hear of the news that patients have potentially lost precious eggs and embryos.
“We want to reassure patients that incidents like this are extremely rare in the UK. We know that for many people, particularly those whose fertility has been impacted by cancer treatment, egg freezing can be a lifeline and can often be the difference between being able to have the family they have longed for.”
“As the national fertility charity, we urge anyone who may have been affected by this news, directly or indirectly, to please reach out to us for support. You are not alone.”
A University of Sheffield initiative is tackling overlooked women’s health problems by helping students develop solutions to delays and inequalities in care.
In a first-of-its-kind collaboration bringing together students, clinicians and industry leaders, new ideas have been developed to address health challenges that leave millions of women facing years-long delays in diagnosis and care.
The Women’s Health Innovation Challenge saw 50 students from across disciplines and year groups work in teams on issues including fragmented care across the female health lifecycle and the widespread normalisation of serious symptoms.
Among the key challenges explored was endometriosis, a condition affecting one in 10 women globally, where patients in the UK face an average diagnosis time of more than nine years.
Other innovations addressed gaps in menopause care, cardiovascular health in women and the fragmentation of digital health solutions across different life stages.
The initiative reflects the university’s growing work in women’s health innovation, a field widely recognised as underfunded and underserved despite affecting half the global population, and its commitment to turning research and ideas into meaningful impact.
Rachel Kovacs, a final year biomedical engineering student at the University of Sheffield and organiser of the event, said: “I was lucky enough to be one of the students to take the first Women’s Health in Biomedical Engineering module in the UK, right here in Sheffield, and it really opened my eyes to how under-innovated the field is.
“I only discovered this in my final year and I wanted other students to find it sooner.
“The event itself has already made a huge difference. Students now see women’s health as a space worth innovating in.
“If even a handful take their ideas further, we could genuinely change women’s lives.
“Having personally experienced some of these gaps, I know the impact this could have on women across the globe.”
The event was supported by experts from across research, industry and healthcare, including panel members from Health Innovation Yorkshire & Humber, an NHS England organisation which acts as a bridge between healthcare providers, commissioners, academia and industry.
Participants explored a range of possible solutions to some of the sector’s most complex challenges.
The event culminated in students pitching their ideas to a panel including clinicians, academic researchers and founders of women’s health startups, creating a direct link between emerging innovation and real-world application.
The challenge forms part of the university’s wider activity in this space, including its Women’s HealthTech Innovation Network, which brings together regional and national expertise to translate research into solutions that address longstanding inequalities in care.
Dr Vanessa Hearnden, senior lecturer in biomaterials and tissue engineering at the University of Sheffield and co-chair of the Women’s HealthTech Innovation Network, said: “The Women’s Health Innovation Challenge gave students a rare opportunity to work directly with clinicians, researchers and industry partners to tackle real-world problems.
“The quality of ideas and level of engagement demonstrated the impact this kind of interdisciplinary, challenge-led learning can have.”
Resistance training improves hip strength, balance and flexibility during menopause and may also improve lean body mass, research suggests.
A study of 72 active women aged 46 to 57 found those who completed a 12-week supervised programme saw greater gains than those who kept to their usual exercise routines.
None of the participants were taking hormone replacement therapy.
The supervised, low-impact resistance exercise programme focused on strength at the hip and shoulder, dynamic balance and flexibility.
Participants used Pvolve equipment, including resistance bands and weights around the hips, wrists and ankles, and also lifted dumbbells of varying loads.
Women in the resistance training group showed a 19 per cent increase in hip function and lower-body strength, a 21 per cent increase in full-body flexibility and a 10 per cent increase in dynamic balance, meaning the ability to stay stable while moving.
Those in the usual activity group did not show any significant improvements.
Previous studies have assessed the decline in lower limb strength and flexibility during menopause, but this is said to be the first study to compare the effect of resistance training on muscle strength and mass before, during and after menopause.
This was done by including participants in different phases of menopause rather than following the same participants over a long timeframe.
Francis Stephens, a researcher at the University of Exeter Medical School in the UK, said: “These results are important because women appear to be more susceptible to loss of leg strength as they age, particularly after menopause, which can lead to increased risk of falls and hip fractures.
“This is the first study to demonstrate that a low-impact bodyweight and resistance band exercise training programme with a focus on the lower limbs, can increase hip strength, balance, and flexibility.
“Importantly, these improvements were the same in peri- and post-menopausal females when compared to pre-menopausal females, suggesting that changes associated with menopause do not mitigate the benefits of exercise.”
Although one of the researchers sits on Pvolve’s clinical advisory board, the researchers said the company did not sponsor the study or influence its results.
Stephens added that any progressive resistance exercise training focused on lower-body strength is likely to yield the same results.
He said: “The important point is for an individual to find a type of exercise, modality, location, time of day etc., that is enjoyable, sustainable, and improves everyday life.
“The participants in the present study reported an improvement in ‘enjoyment of exercise,’ and some are still using the programme since the study finished.”
Kylie Larson, a women’s health and fitness coach and founder of Elemental Coaching, who was not involved in the study, said the results were compelling.
She said: “This is particularly exciting for those that tend to think of menopause as ‘the end’. The study proves that if you incorporate strength training you can still make improvements to your muscle mass and strength, which will also have a positive ripple effect to your ability to manage your body composition.
“In addition, staying flexible and being able to balance are both keys to a healthy and functional second half of life.”
Participants in the study did four classes a week for 30 minutes each session, but Larson said even half that amount of strength training can go a long way, particularly if you emphasise progressive overload, which means gradually increasing muscle challenge through more weight.
Larson said: “Gradually increasing the challenge is what drives real change.
“Lifting heavier over time is what builds strength, protects your bones, and keeps your body resilient through menopause and beyond.”
France will reimburse reusable period products for women under 26 and those on low incomes, in a move aimed at tackling period poverty.
The measure is expected to help 6.7m people, almost a tenth of France’s population of 69m, from the start of the next academic year in the autumn.
Women under 26 with a state health insurance card, as well as women of all ages who receive special healthcare support because of limited income, will be able to claim reimbursement after buying the products from a pharmacy. The cost will be covered through the country’s social security system.
Parliament approved the measure as part of the country’s social security budget for 2024. However, no decree was issued to bring it into force, prompting anger among feminist groups and companies making the sustainable sanitary items.
A survey of 4,000 women in France in November found that one in ten had used alternatives to mainstream period products, such as ripped-up clothes, because of tight budgets, according to French charity Dons Solidaires.
France cut sales tax on period products from 20 per cent to 5.5 per cent in 2016. In 2020, Scotland became the first country in the world to sign into law free universal access to period products in public buildings.
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