HFEA doubles its money as chief quits

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has appointed an interim chief executive following the sudden departure of the chief executive Dr Maureen Dalziel, after a vote of no confidence by the authority board.

The departure comes as HFEA is hit by high-profile in vitro fertilisation blunders, including the incident in which mixed-race twins were born to a white couple after a black man's sperm was mistakenly used in IVF treatment, and an episode when two women were implanted with the wrong embryos.

HFEA has also been struggling to maintain a grip in the face of scientific, commercial and parental pressures.

Dr Dalziel was also trying to wrest more money from the government to deal with growing responsibilities. Her ideas included plans to increase the fee the authority receives for each IVF cycle from£40-£100, and to tighten up scrutiny of clinics.

This week, the government announced that HFEA's budget will rise from£2m to£5.5m by increasing patients' fees.

In response to the Commons science and technology committee report on human genetics and reproduction, public health minister Hazel Blears promised to bolster HFEA's regulatory procedures by increasing the number of inspections which will adhere to new protocols.

There have been claims that Dr Dalziel's departure was due to a personality clash with chair Suzi Leather and the board, many members of which run the clinics under scrutiny. An HSJ source said: 'It really was down to a personality thing. [Dr Dalziel] had a style of doing things that was very much, 'what I say goes'. That did not fit very well with the way the HFEA board is run.'

Now Ms Leather says HFEA needs a period of 'rigorous improvement'.

Angela McNab, who was until September chief executive of Chingford, Wanstead and Woodford primary care trust, was last week announced as the new interim chief executive.