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About us

We are the UK’s independent regulator of fertility treatment and research using human embryos. A world-class expert organisation in the fertility sector, we were the first statutory body of our type in the world.

What we do

We aim to ensure that everyone who steps into a fertility clinic, receives high quality care.

We do this by licensing, monitoring and inspecting fertility clinics - find out more about how we regulate – and providing free, clear and impartial information about fertility treatment, clinics and egg, sperm and embryo donation. We can also take enforcement action if necessary to amend, suspend or revoke a clinic’s licence.

We collect data about fertility treatments. This information is invaluable for many reasons, including being the way that people conceived with a donor can learn more about their genetic origins.

On our Corporate publications page you will find, 'Our strategy', which guides everything we do, and our 'Business plan', which keeps us on track for the year.

How we make decisions

The decisions we make are central to the way fertility clinics and research centres work and matter to the thousands of people who have fertility treatment in the UK every year.

Our board, known as ‘the Authority’, decides on the big picture issues, while committees and panels make decisions about specific areas which they have expert knowledge on.

Interested in our work? Why not come along to an Authority meeting? Find out more about our board, when the next meeting is and what's happened at past meetings.

Learn more about our committees and panels and see past and future meeting papers (where published).

We were set up by legislation as an ‘arm’s length body’ of the Department of Health, meaning we work independently on behalf of the Government.

Our Strategy

Our vision is high quality care for everyone affected by fertility treatment. Our strategy, developed in partnership with our stakeholders and sets out how we're going to achieve that vision.

Find out more about Our Strategy

Our publications

Our publications give you statistics and information on our work and what’s happening in the fertility sector more generally.

Find out more about Our publications
A stack of various pamphlets sat on a shelf arranged by colour

Our campaigns

Our One at a Time campaign was launched to reduce the number of multiple births caused by IVF. Find out how we've got on.

Find out more about Our campaigns

Our news

Keep up to date with what we’re doing with our online news stories. You can also follow us on Twitter @HFEA.

Find out more about Our news
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Working for us

Inspired by what we do? Want to be part of the team? Take a look at our current vacancies and our fantastic benefits package.

Find out more about Working for us

We regulate over 75,000 cycles of fertility treatment every year

Existing clinics

All our information, guidance and forms for existing clinics can be found on our dedicated clinic portal.

Log onto Clinic Portal

New clinics

If you're setting up a new fertility clinic or research centre, you'll need a licence from us.

Apply for a treatment or research licence.

Access our data

We hold the largest register of fertility data in the world. Find out how you can access it for research projects.

Our data

Get in touch

If you've got questions or concerns then we're here to help. Find out who's the best person to talk to on our contact us page.

Contact us

Freedom of Information

Under the Freedom of Information Act, you can make a request to us for information, or take a look at our responses to previous requests.

Freedom of information

What we spend and how

We publish financial information so you can see how we're spending taxpayers' money.

What we spend and how

Publication date: 24 August 2023

Review date: 24 August 2025