More than 100 people from across the UK are meeting to learn, deliberate and reflect on the 14-day rule for human embryo research, including potential future regulatory options.
Participants will look at whether the rule that human embryos cannot be studied in UK research laboratories beyond 14 days – stipulated in the Human Fertilisation and Embryology (HFE) Act 1990 – continues to be the most suitable limit.
Some scientists have suggested that allowing human embryo research to go beyond 14 days could enable a better understanding of healthy development and miscarriages.
And in 2024, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) published a detailed proposal for the review of the HFE Act, which included a call for extending the 14-day rule.
Whilst some evidence suggests that the public may be broadly open to extending the rule, a previous Sciencewise public dialogue in 2023 recommended further engagement with a larger number of people in different settings and from different communities.
To address this need for further insight into public views, Sciencewise has co-commissioned a major public dialogue with the Nuffield Council on Bioethics (NCOB), which will be delivered with Ipsos UK, National Voices and The Liminal Space.
“The Citizens’ Summit is the exciting next phase of the public dialogue, a crucial initiative to bring diverse voices into discussion of the 14-day rule. It will generate rich evidence about what concerns people, and what doesn’t, that policymakers can use.”
Nick Hopwood, Chair of the Public Dialogue Oversight Group
Already, a total of 135 people including those either typically under-represented in medical research or with relevant lived experience, have participated in Community Conversations about the 14-day rule. The insight gathered through these conversations has also helped to inform stimulus materials that people taking part in the Citizens’ Summit will use to understand and discuss the topic.
“The Community Conversations workshop I attended was intense, interactive, and informative. I am looking forward to taking part in the Citizens’ Summit!”
Community Conversations Participant, Northern Ireland
The insight gathered through these conversations has helped to inform stimulus materials that people taking part in the Citizens’ Summit will use to understand and discuss the topic.
The Citizens’ Summit will consist of six sessions over the next two months – four online and two in-person. Together, they will spend a total of 25 hours travelling through three stages of engagement – learning, deliberation and conclusion.
Throughout their experience, they will receive clear, accessible information on human embryo development; human embryo research and how it is governed; and alternatives to embryo research (such as stem cell-based embryo models). They will have opportunities to explore a range of potential future scenarios involving the 14-day rule, and to hear diverse perspectives from stakeholders and communities about their hopes, concerns, and priorities for policy and regulation.
“Immersive approaches allow people to step into situations that feel real and recognisable, while encountering perspectives that may be unfamiliar. For the Citizens’ Summit, we have created a series of fictional future scenarios that bring the ethical, social and moral questions around the 14-day rule to life. By stepping into imagined workplaces, homes and public spaces, participants will encounter everyday conversations that explore different possible outcomes. This helps them engage with the trade-offs involved, understand a range of viewpoints, and reflect more deeply on the complexities of the issue.”
Amanda Gore, Director of The Liminal Space
The findings of this public engagement will feed into a wider NCOB project generating the evidence policymakers need to understand and ethically appraise different options for how time limits on embryo research could be regulated in future.
Read more on the 14-Day Rule for Human Embryo Research project page here.
