Unregulated Fertility Centres Putting Women at Risk - Obstetrician

19.06.2017

A former master of the Coombe Hospital has warned that woman who have gynaecological ultrasound screening in some fertility centres are being put at risk. Prof Sean Daly said the risk arises because of a failure to regulate medical scanning services in Ireland.

“The provision of medical scanning services in Ireland is unregulated, creating a situation where Irish women may be exploited and even harmed by inadvertently trusting a medical investigation carried out by a person who is unfit or untrained.”

Prof Daly told the Oireachtas Health Committee that “If a radiographer performs the examination and has graduated from an Irish training system, then the radiographer will have had specific training in gynaecology. The radiologist will review the images and report the examination.”

But he warned that problems can arise if the radiographer or GP has not completed a specific training programme. “We are now seeing a huge rise in infertility services in Ireland and many providers are not Irish-trained.”

He pointed out that in IVF, multiple pregnancy rates may be reduced by not allowing the transfer of multiple embryos. “Again, it is a totally unregulated area, and anybody can set up a service and claim to be an expert,” he warned.

Irish Independent. June 1.