Survey of fertility counselling provision in UK licensed treatment centres during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

A survey of UK fertility counsellors’ experiences of the impact on their service, including its availability, during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020 received 64 responses. Fifty three respondents had continued to provide a service. Forty now worked from a wholly/substantially different location to normal but many clinics provided no practical support for this (n = 17), or remote access to relevant clinic (n = 17) or client information (n = 12) and twenty five respondents reported reduced multi-disciplinary involvement. Few received regular information updates. Some whose service was stopped (n = 11) abruptly lost income and/or were unsure whether they could or would resume working. Increased remote counselling proved crucial for accessibility and could be effective. Concerns included fatigue, technical and practical challenges, confidentiality, lowered therapeutic effectiveness. Respondents supported patients having choice over how to receive counselling in the future but a third (n = 21) had not been included in such planning. These findings suggest the need for increased involvement and support of fertility counsellors in the event of a future waves, other pandemic or healthcare crisis. More needs to be understood about why clinic responses varied; how to improve the safety and efficacy of remote counselling; and how to accommodate future needs for face-to-face contact.