Clinical Services REDUCING THE RISK OF HIV TRANSMISSION
One of the unit’s specialities is dealing with patients who wish to conceive where one or two of the partners have a viral infection such as HIV. When there is a HIV positive male a technique called Sperm Washing is used. The infection is carried in the fluid around the sperm and not the sperm itself, which means the fluid can be washed free of infection before being inserted at the appropriate stage. Dr Dimitrios Nikolaou is enthusiastic about the
benefits of the technique. “It significantly reduces the risk of transmission. We warn patients that there is a 1% procedural risk of transmission but in reality in the years we have been running the programme I have never witnessed a transmission.” This is very much a unique service, as it is the only facility in the UK to offer this capability. While only 5% of patients currently come from
abroad, the significant number of HIV cases around the world means this is an ever-present issue, and Dr. Julian Norman-Taylor is keen for Chelsea and Westminster to assist on a global scale. “HIV conception can sometimes be a sensitive subject, but we have a solution to help,” he explains. “Most of our international patients tend to be African, but the Chinese have an issue with hepatitis at the moment and we would be very happy to form relationships and provide support to anyone. We are very used to welcoming people from outside our own population. We receive referrals from all around the world and are well organised to deal with that.” A joint campaign with a centre in Uganda,
a country with a high HIV rate, has also been established. International patients can be scanned locally and then treated at the UK site. “We train local nurses and set up the pathway so the patient only has to come into the UK specifically for the treatment. They can be scanned in their home nation, but to establish the expensive infrastructure for only a small population in other countries is often not feasible.”
for surgery in the UK. This also facilitates innovation and the unit is currently working on a research programme, alongside Imperial College, on the immunology of early implantations. Mr. Julian Norman-Taylor explains: ‘Initial studies are looking into why the embryo is not essentially attacked by the immune system, how is it protected and what is involved in that biochemical process.’ There are of course a number of stand-alone
fertility clinics across the country but the Chelsea and Westminster Unit holds a number of advantages over these sites, including their ability to offer the whole pathway to the patient from conception through to aftercare. “On a technical front we treat infection cases with specialised equipment which most other infection centres do not have access to,” says Mr Norman-Taylor. Other reasons for the success of the unit include
the quality management of the centre. “It is not that we only take easy cases, we treat everybody. Our success rates are consistently high because every
48 Global Opportunity Healthcare 2015 | Issue 01
decision is reviewed by our consultants and we have an active forum for discussion when a patient does not respond as we thought they would.” Due to these robust processes, 95per cent of the
couples that have undertaken fertility treatment at the Assisted Conception Unit would recommend it to another couple. With fertility problems affecting so many couples, Chelsea and Westminster’s ACU has the best possible facilities to ensure that every couple has the greatest chance of a successful and healthy birth.
Further information Assisted Conception Unit, The Westminster Wing, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital 369 Fulham Road. London SW10 9NH Tel: 020 3315 8585 Fax: 020 3315 8921 Email:
acu@chelwest.nhs.uk www.chelwest.nhs.uk
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Chelsea and Westminster Hospital
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Chelsea and Westminster Hospital
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