19 December 2023
Dear colleague
Updated and new consent forms
I am writing to update you on important changes to the HFEA consent forms which will be effective on 19 February 2024. These changes relate to consent in the event that a patient loses mental capacity and will allow patients to consent to their eggs, sperm or embryos being stored but not used were they to become mentally incapacitated. We announced these changes in the June 2023 Clinic Focus and provided an update in this October 2023 Chair’s Letter.
The new and updated consent forms are available now for information purposes and to allow clinics to incorporate them into practice. However, these are not in effect until 19 February 2024 and must not be used in clinical practice until this date. You can read more about this in the September 2023 Clinic Focus.
Some forms contain further, minor corrections and clarifications not related to loss of mental capacity.
From 19 February 2024 clinics must use revised versions of the consent forms and the new consent form (when relevant), set out in Annex I. The new consent form – the MIT – will allow patients to consent to their eggs, sperm or embryos being used in training in the event they lose mental capacity if they would like to do so. This means that the MIT does not need to be completed by every patient. In Annex II, you will find guidance on how to complete the new and updated consent forms.
Annex I: New and updated consent forms
- MT, version 9
- WT, version 13
- WPT, version 3
- GS, version 9
- MGI, version 7
- WGI, version 8
- RE, version 2
- RG, version 2
- RE(TP), version 2
- RG(TP), version 2
- WSG, version 9
- MSG, version 9
- MMT, version 3
- WMT, version 3
- MIT, version 1
Annex II: How to complete mental incapacity sections of consent forms.
If you have any questions, please speak to your inspector.
Yours sincerely,
Chair, Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority