Updated -
31 August 2022
Please continue to wear face covering in our hospitals
05th January 2022
The HFEA has recently reviewed its frequently asked questions about treatment and Covid-19. To see the update please click here
25th August 2021
We are seeing a large number of patients within the hospital who are testing positive for covid-19. Please be vigilant. You must wear a face covering when visiting our hospitals unless you are exempted. Whilst vaccination remains a personal choice, based on hospital and government data as well as information from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' (RCOG) and Association of Reductive Clinical Scientists (ARCS), we are strongly advising all patients (pregnant or not) to have the vaccine if they feel able to.
Please visit our website or social media for the last information and how to access treatment(s)
We thank you for your continued support
For the most up to date information about Covid-19 please visit: www.gov.uk/coronavirus
For information and advice about the vaccine please click here
We currently have no waiting list for diagnostic semen analysis. Please call 0116 258 5922 to book your appointment.
5th January 2021
Following the government announcement that the nation is to entre another 'lock down', we would like to take the opportunity to reassure our patients we will remain open for appointments and treatments, both fresh and frozen, unless or until instructed by the HFEA.
Any abuse of our staff will not be tolerated
4th January 2021
Following the government announcement that Leicester remains in Tire 4, we would like to take the opportunity to reassure our patients we will remain open for appointments and treatments unless or until instructed by the HFEA.
17th November 2020
Please be advised we have no more appointments for semen analysis for the remainder of this year. If you need to have a semen analysis please call us on 0116 258 5922 from mid-December when appointments for January 2021 will be released. Thank you for your patience in this matter.
2nd November 2020
Following the government announcement on Saturday, we would like to take the opportunity to reassure our patients we will remain open for appointments and treatments unless or until instructed by the HFEA.
27th October 2020
We currently have very limited slots available for booking your diagnostic semen analysis appointment due to high demand. For an appointment please call 0116 2585922.
Your sample will not be tested without a valid appointment
Please visit our website regularly for updated information. The team at Leicester Fertility Center would like to thank you for your continued patience during these unprecedented times.
Wednesday 1st July
Where can we find information about travel within England? (new)
The Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (England) Regulations 2020 can be found here. There is also a guidance document on GOV.UK, which can be found here
Tuesday 30th June
Last night the Government announced stricter lockdown restrictions for at least two weeks in Leicester and some parts of Leicestershire close to the city’s boundaries, becoming the first localised lockdown in England since the pandemic began. Whilst we understand this is a difficult and worrying time for our patients we want to reassure you your safety remains our greatest priority. The new measures will not affect any appointments you may already have booked with us
The stricter lockdown measures will apply for at least two weeks.
The headline changes are:
Non-essential shops will be asked to close from today
The city’s bars, restaurants and hairdressers will not open on July 4 as planned
All but essential travel in and out of the city is discouraged.
The relaxation of shielding measures on 6 July – which allow the most clinical-vulnerable to spend more time outside – will not go ahead
The changes will require new legislation to be drafted before they can be implemented.
At present we are fully booked for diagnostic semen analysis samples until the end of January. Please call towards the middle of the month for an appointment in February
Any abuse of our staff will not be tolerated
There are websites that can provide support and/or information to patients at this time of uncertainty including:
HFEA COVID-19 guidance for patients
Fertility Network UK
British Infertility Counselling Association
Fertility Friends
Coronavirus (COVID-19): what you need to do (Government advice)
NHS advice
We are able to offer telephone or online counselling to our patients.
Advice for the public
We know that this will be a worrying time for you and your families. You can help us by emphasising our key messages with those you are in contact with. These are:
Anyone in Leicester who has symptoms, or thinks they have been in contact with someone who has, can book a test at nhs.uk/coronavirusor by calling 119.
Stay at home unless it is absolutely essential;
If you must go out, keep at least 2 metres from those you do not live with;
Wash your hands thoroughly and often;
Wear a face covering in public if you possibly can, and always on public transport;
If you experience symptoms make sure you get a test as soon as possible. Book by visiting: www.nhs.uk/coronavirus or calling 119.
Anyone who thinks they have symptoms should stay at home along with the rest of their household until they have been tested. Anyone who tests positive should stay at home for seven days, and members of their household should stay at home for 14 days.
Monday 15 June
All patients and visitors will be asked to wear a cloth face covering when attending our hospitals. Face coverings must cover the mouth and nose and can be in the form of a mask, scarf or bandanna.
Information and advice about how to wear and make face coverings is available here: www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-wear-and-make-a-cloth-face-covering/how-to-wear-and-make-a-cloth-face-covering
Protecting you, protecting our hospitals 💙
12th June 2020
The HFEA have granted our treatment licence. We are open and booking the following treatments: Intra Uterine insemination (IUI), Donor insemination (DI), Frozen embryo transfer (FET) and sperm storage prior to oncology or other treatment(s). We are also contacting patients to plan treatments.
We are still NOT open for diagnostic semen analysis samples or fresh treatment(s); however the situation is evolving everyday and we continue to keep our web page and social media posts as up to date as possible. Social distancing, patient and staff safety still remains are upmost priority.
20th May 2020
Breaking News: We have just received confirmation from the HFEA that we have been granted our treatment license.
This is fantastic news and has only been made possible by the continued hard work and support of all our staff. Please continue to bear with us at this time as we start to open up appointments. We will continue to update our website and social media with information as it becomes available. Social distancing, patient and staff safety still remains are upmost priority.
15th May 2020
At Leicester Fertility Centre we have kept a record of all women who were cancelled for ongoing treatments and appointments since the COVID-19 outbreak and HFEA guidance to consider stopping fertility treatments. All new referrals who could not be offered treatment due to COVID-19 situation have been screened for age of woman, AMH, underlying pathology of endometriosis, extent of male factor subfertility, and any co-existing co-morbidity of hypertension, diabetes, immunosuppressive disorders and any other medical condition. We also have a record of all the referrals and the prioritisation strategy is in the descending order:
- Fertility Preservation- already providing service for these women.
- Those cancelled previously due to COVID-19.
- Older age group 38 years and more, low AMH, pre-existing condition of endometriosis and/or severe male factor subfertility (< 1 million sperm/mL).
- Those with co-morbidities of Hypertension, Diabetes, other immunosuppressive conditions will be offered treatment later to reduce their risk of contracting COVID-19 as more susceptible.
- In order to mitigate the pressure on NHS services, IVF/ICSI treatment will be planned after confirming availability of anesthetists for doing egg collection and embryo transfer under sedation.
- In the meantime, FET cycles will be commenced for women who were cancelled and ensuring point 4 is checked.
- Donor cycles will be commenced after complete assessment of donors. Cross border donor oocyte treatment will not be considered until further Government guidance about travel and safety for patients.
- Donor insemination treatment
11th may 2020
Today we, along with all fertility clinics in the UK, are able to apply to the HFEA for a licence to restart treatment(s). No clinics can offer treatment(s) until the HFEA have approved their application. Our plan involves detailed information on how social distancing, patient and staff safety are maintained within our setting. Once we have been granted our license we will update our website and social media outlets with more guidance on treatment(s). We are unable to give specific time frames at this time, however we are working hard to minimize any further delays to patients.
We are still NOT open for diagnostic semen analysis samples.
1st May 2020
We understand the HFEA made an announcement today regarding the possible recommencement of fertility treatment(s) within the UK. We remain cautiously optimistic about restarting fertility treatment here at Leicester however, continued patient safety remains our upmost priority and we will have this at the heart of every decision we make.
Restarting treatment – information for patients
The HFEA have taken the decision that fertility clinics can apply to reopen from 11 May 2020.
The safety of patients and clinic staff remains a priority for us and the HFEA. Before we can resume treatment, we must demonstrate that we can provide a safe service for patients and a safe working environment for our staff that complies with recommendations from professional guidance. To do this we must have a COVID-19 treatment commencement strategy in place.
If you have specific questions regarding your medical treatment or the reopening of the clinic, please contact us.
Further information, including some questions and answers for patients can be found on the HFEA website at www.hfea.gov.uk/treatments/covid-19-and-fertility-treatment/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-patients/
22th April 2020
Here is some useful information from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, they are the UK's independent regulator overseeing fertility treatment and research.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) guidance for professionals
We are regularly monitoring the situation, the government guidance, and the advice from the fertility sector medical and scientific experts. We will update this page as necessary.
Restarting treatment
Any decision to allow fertility clinics to re-open will consider the views of the UK professional fertility societies (BFS/ARCS) and the impact that resuming treatment would have on NHS services. We also need to be assured that clinics are able to provide a safe service to patients and a safe working environment for clinic staff.
We recognise the distress this closure is causing any patients awaiting fertility treatment and hope that those relying on NHS funding will be allowed to continue their treatment as they expected.
We want to reassure patients and clinics that we are actively working on an exit strategy to enable fertility treatment to resume when Government restrictions on social contact and travel are lifted.
www.hfea.gov.uk/treatments/covid-19-and-fertility-treatment/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-professionals
14th April 2020
To all our patients
Due to the recent government guidelines on the vulnerability in pregnancy all cycles of treatment have been put on hold.
We understand this is a difficult time for patients and we apologies for any anxiety and stress this decision has caused.
This decision has not been made lightly, but our priority must be your safety.
We will do all we can to re-commence treatments as soon as possible but we cannot give a date when this will happen given the current situation with the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK and the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) restrictions
We have done our best over the past few weeks to keep you informed about the ever changing situation related to the Covid-19 pandemic. We have updates on our website and on social media. We understand that these are unprecedented times for us all and that many of you will have questions regarding your appointments, investigations and treatment with us. At present we remain closed for treatments and diagnostic semen analyses.
We are working on a strategy for addressing this, and as a first step will be considering the criteria that will need to be satisfied before we can re-start treatments. Any decision will need to consider the views of the UK professional societies British Fertility Society/Association of Reproductive Clinical Scientists (BFS/ARCS), HFEA directives, the impact that resuming treatment would have on NHS services, directions from The University Hospitals of Leicester NHS (UHL) Trust and general guidance from the Government designed to slow the spread of COVID-19 on safe distancing and the movement of people.
Our aim is to restart as soon as possible and we are keeping the situation under regular review.
It is clear that there will be considerable demand for services when clinics are permitted to restart treatment. To make the access to treatment as fair as possible we will look at treating those patients who had their treatment interrupted in the initial cohorts.
We are continuing to maintain our cryostore. Scientific staff are working to maintain and ensure the ongoing safety of gamete and embryo storage banks.
The health and safety of our patients and staff continues to be our absolute priority
We are following best practice guidance from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology authority (HFEA) and Public Health England, in terms of personal hygiene and cleaning, self-isolation, and personal protective equipment. If staff are exposed or have symptoms they are immediately self-isolating
The latest Government guidance about staying at home
Stay at Home – Protect the NHS – Save Lives
Everyone must now stay at home to help stop the spread of coronavirus. This includes people of all ages – even if you do not have any symptoms or other health conditions.
The only reasons to leave home are:-
· To shop for basic necessities or pick up medicine
· Any medical need, or to provide care or to help a vulnerable person
· To travel to work if you absolutely cannot work from home
· To exercise once a day on your own or with people in your household
If you have a cough, temperature or any symptoms of Covid-19 please do not attend the clinic.
We urge all of our patients past and future to stay safe and remain in touch as the situation changes.
The Leicester Fertility Centre team want to thank you all for your continued support, patience and understanding at this very difficult time. We also want to thank our patients for all your support and kind words in the last few days. We have been overwhelmed with your patience and understanding at this difficult time
24th March 2020
In accordance with new Trust guidelines to prevent unnecessary access to the clinic and reduce the number of patients attending our setting we have taken the difficult decision to lock our entrance until further notice. If you have a confirmed, valid appointment please use our door bell and a member of the team will admit you. We are still not accepting semen samples.
23th March 2020
To address the situation, Sally Cheshire CBE, Chair of the HFEA has written an open letter to patients.
You can view the full letter here - https://www.hfea.gov.uk/about-us/news-and-press-releases/2020-news-and-press-releases/an-open-letter-to-fertility-patients-sally-cheshire-cbe-chair-hfea/
The HFEA have also created a new COVID-19 page dedicated to patients, which is updated regularly with new information as of when it becomes available. https://www.hfea.gov.uk/treatments/covid-19-and-fertility-treatment/
20th March 2020 Covid-19 update
STOP
We are currently NOT accepting samples for semen analysis to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 Please take your sample home to dispose of it Keep your paper work Please call 0116 258 5922 before you intend to come again
18th March 2020 Covid-19 update
Dear patients and visitors, in accordance with the latest Government and Trust advice to reduce Social contact and the number of non-urgent NHS appointments the following will apply with immediate effect and until further notice:
For all patients currently undergoing IVF treatment who have started stimulation please be reassured we will do our best to complete your treatment, however we are following national guidance and freezing embryos
We will not be commencing any new IVF treatment cycles until further notice, therefore planning appointments, baseline and AFC scans will be differed. This applies to both NHS, Private and Access Fertility patients
Please do not bring children or babies into the clinic as this will increase the risk of them catching the virus
Only attend on your own or with one other person to reduce risk
All follow-up appointments will be by telephone; we will contact you to arrange these
We are really sorry that we are having to put these measures into place but we hope you understand the current situation is due to the global pandemic. Once the situation is resolved please contact us.
You are more than welcome to contact us to if you need further information and/or support
We will be updating the website regularly as the situation is changing daily
16th March 2020 Covid-19 update
Due to the current global COVID-19 pandemic we would like to advise you as below:
If you think you can postpone your treatment at present, please do so as this is a global situation and we do not know what the impact on provision of healthcare services is likely to be.
If you have travelled outside the UK in the last 28 days please do not commence treatment.
If you have started your treatment and you have symptoms of cough/fever/shortness of breath, you must inform us via telephone- you will be advised to stop your treatment and further restarting of treatment will be when it is safe as declared by the Government/NHS/HFEA.
If you are undergoing NHS funded treatment, we will endeavour to recommence your treatment once it is safe to do so.
If you are undergoing Private/self funded treatment, you will have to incur the cost of any medications already used.
If you wish to read about the COVID-19 and any impact on pregnancy please read RCOG guidance as below
https://www.rcog.org.uk/en/guidelines-research-services/guidelines/coronavirus-pregnancy/
You can access 111 online or call NHS 111 for help if unwell.
Further information can be found using the links below:
https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/coronavirus-covid-19-uk-government-response
https://www.hfea.gov.uk/
Trust advice is continuously being updated and treatment could be halted at any point if the situation worsens