IVF clinics 'named and shamed'

Poor performing fertility clinics could be putting patients at risk according to league table results.

One in five clinics had failed to meet the basic standards expected and of the 78 listed, only five scored top marks.

The league table measures include risk management, safety of equipment and procedures, staff competence, quality of patient information and arrangements for doctor selection.

The Human Fertilisation and Embroyology Authority (HFEA) published the results following a request under the Freedom of Information Act.

The report found 140 incidents of safety lapses between April 2005 and March 2006, 91 of which were seen as havign serious consequences for the patient, embryo or safety of staff.

These safety lapses include the loss of embryos, eggs and sperm through dropping dishes or equipment failure.

The worst performing clinic, London's Reproductive Genetics Institue no longer has an HFEA licence.

The HFEA said it was not its intention to "name and shame" the clinics.

John Paul Maytum, HFEA spokeman saaid: "When you are looking at the performance of a clinic, it's not so much the problems you find the matter, it's how quickly the clinic addresses the problems and improves their performanc and practice."

The top five clinics are: Care Fertility Centre, Nottingham ISIS Fertility Centre, Colchester St Mary's Hospital, Manchester The Christie Hospital NHS Trust, Manchester Willow Suite, Thames Valley Nuffield Hospital, Buckinghamshire

The bottom five are: Assisted Reproduction and Gynaecology Centre, London London Women's Clinic The Winterbourne Hospital, Dorset Brentwood Fertility, Essex Reproductive Medicine Unit at University College Hospital, London

Adele Moore