Here’s what the review of the IVF industry said should change – and what it missed

Reports of several cases of embryo and sperm mix-ups have put the Australian fertility industry in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.

These bungles have raised serious questions about the industry’s current model of self-regulation, and demonstrate a lack of transparency about how it handles complaints and misconduct. In response, the federal government commissioned a rapid review of the sector in June.

Last Friday, the report was quietly released. State, territory and federal health ministers had already committed to accepting all the review’s recommendations earlier in September. But we’ve only just learned the details of those recommendations.

So, what are they? And will they work? Here are the main takeaways.

What did the review look at?

The fertility industry is highly lucrative, profit driven, fast growing and increasingly complex. So one of the review’s main questions was whether self-regulation is fit-for-purpose.

Currently, Australian fertility clinics must be accredited and licensed by the Reproductive Technology Accreditation Committee and adhere to its code of practice. But this body is funded by the industry and run by an arm of the...