Latest news with #SarahMansfield
Sydney Morning Herald
3 days ago
- Health
- Sydney Morning Herald
Victoria has had a new IVF watchdog for six months. So far, it has not taken any action
Greens health spokesperson Sarah Mansfield said the Allan government had handed fertility clinic regulation to the Health Department claiming it would have greater enforcement options; however, there was no indication any action was taking place. 'You can have all the penalties available that you want, but unless there's proper regulation happening – like people actually going out and looking into these things and using those enforcement measures – they don't really mean a lot,' Mansfield said. Loading 'The Victorian government has responsibility now for regulation of the IVF industry. It is up to them to restore Victorians' trust in the system and in their ability to provide that regulation. What Victorians want to know is that everything will be done to avoid incidents like [the wrong embryos being implanted] happening again. 'Providing transparency around adverse incidents, and the consequence of those incidents, is a really important part of rebuilding that trust.' A Premier's Department spokesperson said that because the question on notice had been asked at a June 10 hearing of the parliamentary accounts and estimates committee, its response did not take into account Monash IVF's disclosure on the same day that it had mistakenly implanted the wrong embryo into a woman at its Clayton clinic. But the response does cover the April disclosure that a woman had given birth to a stranger's baby following an embryo mix-up at Monash IVF's Brisbane clinic. Following that bungle, Victoria's Health Department requested information from its Queensland counterpart before renewing licences for Monash IVF's Victorian clinics from April 30. Loading The Health Department spokesperson said an investigation had been launched into the Clayton embryo bungle, but neither the department nor Thomas' office would comment about actions being undertaken by the VHR. Australian Fertility Treatment Families founder Michelle Galea said she was extremely concerned, but not surprised, that the new regulator was yet to undertake any enforcement action. She said the government had been too quick to shut down the Victorian Assisted Reproductive Treatment Authority. 'They rushed this thing through by shutting VARTA down at the end of the year,' Galea said. 'It takes time to implement new strategies, new employees, new legislation. 'It was winding down and there was no transition period, so I'd be very surprised if there was any actual regulation getting done in the last six months of last year.'
The Age
3 days ago
- Health
- The Age
Victoria has had a new IVF watchdog for six months. So far, it has not taken any action
Greens health spokesperson Sarah Mansfield said the Allan government had handed fertility clinic regulation to the Health Department claiming it would have greater enforcement options; however, there was no indication any action was taking place. 'You can have all the penalties available that you want, but unless there's proper regulation happening – like people actually going out and looking into these things and using those enforcement measures – they don't really mean a lot,' Mansfield said. Loading 'The Victorian government has responsibility now for regulation of the IVF industry. It is up to them to restore Victorians' trust in the system and in their ability to provide that regulation. What Victorians want to know is that everything will be done to avoid incidents like [the wrong embryos being implanted] happening again. 'Providing transparency around adverse incidents, and the consequence of those incidents, is a really important part of rebuilding that trust.' A Premier's Department spokesperson said that because the question on notice had been asked at a June 10 hearing of the parliamentary accounts and estimates committee, its response did not take into account Monash IVF's disclosure on the same day that it had mistakenly implanted the wrong embryo into a woman at its Clayton clinic. But the response does cover the April disclosure that a woman had given birth to a stranger's baby following an embryo mix-up at Monash IVF's Brisbane clinic. Following that bungle, Victoria's Health Department requested information from its Queensland counterpart before renewing licences for Monash IVF's Victorian clinics from April 30. Loading The Health Department spokesperson said an investigation had been launched into the Clayton embryo bungle, but neither the department nor Thomas' office would comment about actions being undertaken by the VHR. Australian Fertility Treatment Families founder Michelle Galea said she was extremely concerned, but not surprised, that the new regulator was yet to undertake any enforcement action. She said the government had been too quick to shut down the Victorian Assisted Reproductive Treatment Authority. 'They rushed this thing through by shutting VARTA down at the end of the year,' Galea said. 'It takes time to implement new strategies, new employees, new legislation. 'It was winding down and there was no transition period, so I'd be very surprised if there was any actual regulation getting done in the last six months of last year.'
