Staff at an NHS fertility clinic had to DNA test embryos over concerns a baby would end up with the wrong family, it has been alleged.
Homerton Fertility Centre, which provides treatments such as IVF for NHS and private patients, had its licence suspended in March last year after a number of “serious untoward incidents” were reported to the regulator. This included the loss and destruction of embryos after being thawed. The clinic reopened in December, after months of investigation.
One scientist who worked at the clinic before its closure alleged they had to DNA test a batch of embryos after it emerged that a technician had not recorded the processes properly.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if someone [had] ended up with a baby in the wrong family,” they said. “I’ve never worked in a worse clinic.”
In March 2024, the Human Fertility and Embryology Authority (HFEA) banned the clinic from seeing patients after it emerged that dozens of embryos had accidentally been lost or destroyed in a series of errors. The HFEA said in July 2024 that the clinic could restart seeing patients the following month and the Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, which runs it, apologised to those affected.
Homerton University Hospital in east London, where the fertility clinic is located
JORDAN PETTITT/PA
Last month, the HFEA released the minutes of a meeting in which, after an unannounced inspection in March, it said that there were no areas for improvement, the clinic had effective leadership and 80 per cent of patients said the service was good or very good.
The centre has been said to be experiencing financial difficulties after the closure and reopening. It is alleged the clinic had a financial deficit of about £4 million for 2024-25, while forecasts show it is due to overspend by £2 million for 2025-26.
It is understood the clinic has struggled to attract patients — who privately pay more than £4,000 for one cycle of IVF — since its reopening. One employee claimed it was “not sustainable to remain open”. The centre sees about five NHS patients a week, whereas a clinic of its size would usually expect to see dozens, the source claimed. The level of NHS funding it receives is not dependent on how many NHS patients it treats.
In the minutes released last month, the HFEA also said that there were “some inconsistencies” with how donor sperm was prepared for insemination between 2021 and 2024, although the issues had been rectified since the clinic reopened.
The employee claimed that, before the centre’s closure, management “did not know how to deal with donor sperm” and that this resulted in some women not becoming pregnant.
‘Errors right, left and centre’ before closure
The Times can reveal that the law firm Fletchers Solicitors is representing several women who were patients at the clinic before its closure, seeking answers from Homerton University Hospital over claims of medical negligence.
The women’s lives “have been profoundly impacted, not only by the physical and emotional trauma, but also by the uncertainty around their ability to ever start or grow their families”, a spokesperson for the law firm said. “Some have been unable to try again due to the emotional toll; others have lost their only chance.”
Staff who worked at the clinic before its closure spoke of a poor working environment and an error-strewn culture at that time. One staff member only lasted a few weeks before going on stress leave. They claimed staff members were “making errors right, left and centre” and when they tried to report incidents, they were told not to make a fuss.
The former employee said that some team members were not registered with the Health and Care Professions Council, as is required, and some were not embryologists at all.
The clinic has reopened, and in March an inspection found 80 per cent of patients said the service was good or very good
CARL COURT/GETTY IMAGES
Another scientist who worked at the clinic before before it was partially suspended said staff members were being paid for full-time work but only coming in half the time. The scientist said that they tried to put together a rota, but senior staff told them to stop and they left the clinic shortly after.
Each of those who worked at the clinic before its closure said that staff would join the clinic and leave within months, meaning shortages were commonplace.
In 2022, Homerton Fertility Centre stopped taking new patients over staff vacancies. Freedom of Information requests revealed that 19 staff members voluntarily resigned that year.
There are 43 staff members at the clinic. Last year it posted at least 12 job adverts.
‘Fit to have licence continued’
Peter Thompson, chief executive of the HFEA, said: “The HFEA is responsible for the regulation of fertility treatment across the UK and for ensuring that licensed clinics carry out treatment safely and lawfully. We are confident we have investigated the issues raised with us at the Homerton Fertility Centre where they relate to fertility treatment.
“The HFEA has had heightened regulatory oversight of the Homerton Fertility Centre for several years. This included suspending the clinic’s licence between March and August 2024 because of significant concerns about the clinic.
“The HFEA only lifted the licence suspension when it was satisfied that the clinic had accepted and acted on all the actions identified by an independent investigation commissioned by the Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.
“Since the clinic’s phased reopening in late 2024, the HFEA has undertaken an unannounced inspection, held regular meetings with the Trust’s leadership, and investigated matters, including whistleblowing allegations, raised directly with us and which fall within the HFEA’s legal remit.
“Following the unannounced inspection in March 2025, the HFEA’s licence committee considered the report and agreed in June that is satisfied the Homerton Fertility Centre is fit to have its licence continued”.
Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust said: “The Homerton Fertility Clinic reopened last year under new leadership, and following a thorough assessment, the HFEA reinstated its licence. Our adherence to high clinical and regulatory standards is under constant internal governance and external assessment by the HFEA and is in compliance.
“The HFEA licence committee recently agreed that an interim inspection report following an unannounced visit to the centre in March was ‘very positive and encouraging’, noting that there were ‘no areas of practice that required improvement’.”