Egg Donation through GCRM and IVI Valencia

GCRM has the largest egg donation program in Scotland (see Egg Share & Donor Programmes). Despite this, patients who require donated eggs will still have a lengthy time to spend on our waiting list.

In an effort to provide patients with as many options as possible, GCRM has established a link with one of the most successful egg donation centres in Europe; IVI Valencia. This state of the art facility in Spain has a very active program with virtually no waiting list.

The arrangement we have in place with them means that if any patients decide to seek treatment in Spain, all the initial stages (consultation, consents, screening tests, cycle monitoring) of your treatment cycle could still take place here at GCRM. Meaning they would only need to travel to Spain once; for fertilisation of the eggs and the embryo transfer.

Because of the different regulatory regime in Spain, IVI Valencia are able to provide financial compensation to their egg donors. This in turn means they have many more donors coming forward. These donors undergo the same rigorous screening as in the UK.

GCRM has put together an IVI Patient Journey information sheet. This provides a step by step guide to how the GCRM - IVI Valencia egg donation arrangement works.

The GCRM link with IVI Valencia has proved to be a great success with the current clinical pregnancy rate being 55%.

Margaret Donnelly (GCRM Office Manager) is our IVI Valencia coordinator. If you require any further information, including up to date information treatment costs or wish to make an appointment, Margaret can be contacted on tel: 0141 891 8749 or e-mail Margaret.Donnelly@gcrm.co.uk

Patient Experience

A patient who is recently undertaken a cycle of treatment via the GCRM-IVI Valencia link, has very kindly agreed to give us an insight into their experience but allowing us to share some of their photographys. These have been put together into a presentation that can be accessed by clicking here for Microsoft Power Point presentation or here for the Adobe PDF document version.
Please note that any opinions expressed in this presentation are those of the patient and not GCRM.

HFEA endorses GCRM link with IVI Valencia

Background
The HFEA have had concerns for some time about patients who travel out with the UK to seek fertility treatment.
In April 2010, GCRM was asked to provide detailed information about it's association with IVI Valencia. This request was made as part of a wider HFEA investigation into all the activities conducted by UK clinics that had links with fertility centres abroad. Also at this time there was several news articles published which covered GCRM's link with IVI Valencia.

On the 28th July 2010, Prof Fleming received a letter from Mr Alan Doran, Chief Executive of the HFEA. This letter stated the following;

'Dear Prof Fleming,
I am now able to respond substantively to your letter dated 14th April 2010, in response to mine of 8th April, about your relationship with IVI Valencia.

The first thing to say is that I am sorry that it has taken me so long to let you have a full response. As I explained when we spoke, this was because we wanted to make sure we had available to us authoritative advice on the legal position. The need to seek such advice did not stem, I hasten to add, from the press coverage about your but from the growing interest in the general issues of travel abroad ....'

'The second thing to say is that I am most grateful for the care you have given to give me a very full and satisfactory reply to the questions I raised with you. Our philosophy here is based on the assumption that the vast majority of centres are keen to show that they comply fully with the regulatory requirements and it is therefore heartening to see the evidence you have provided about the purpose and quality of your link with Valencia. Thank you.

Thirdly, the legal advice we have is very clear - our remit extends solely to the oversight of licensable activities in the UK and no further. The effect of this advice is therefore that the structures and arrangements that you describe in your letter are not ones that we as the regulator would seek to exercise oversight of as they are outside remit.

With best wishes

Alan Doran Chief Executive' (HFEA)

GCRM is very pleased that the HFEA have acknowledged that the link it (GCRM) has with IVI Valencia is valid.
Prof Fleming states, 'Our link with Valencia has been established to provide patients with an alternative treatment option. The decision to formalise the link was not taken lightly. From the outset we have been secure in the knowledge that any patients who travel to Valencia will receive the very best of care'.

The HFEA have now sent the following letter to all the IVF clinics in the UK; Cross border reproductive care.