Taranissi must stand down as licence holder at infertility clinic

Mohamed Taranissi, one of the United Kingdom's best known infertility specialists, will lose the licence he holds in his name for his main clinic, the Assisted Reproduction and Gynaecology Centre, the licence committee of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has ruled.

The committee's decision was published this week. It said the clinic must appoint another “person responsible” to be the licence holder. Mr Taranissi will remain medical director and will continue to treat patients at the clinic. Once a satisfactory “person responsible” has been appointed, the clinic will initially be given a six month licence coupled with a full inspection.

Mr Taranissi told the BMJ that he intended to appeal against the ruling. The regulatory regime gives a right of appeal to …