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So the stigma of having a mental illness continues. Under the pretext of protecting children born through IVF, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority is consulting on revising its screening process for prospective parents. Proposals include new risk factors, such as a history of mental illness.

While a screening process is necessary, it shouldn't be heavy-handed. There are plenty of parents with mental health problems, learning difficulties, sensory impairments, and physical disabilities who bring up their children well - sometimes with support from social services, but not always. There are also plenty of parents with none of these added difficulties not doing such a great job, and no one screened them.

Parents who don't need IVF only have their child removed for legitimate child protection reasons. It should be the same for those who do need IVF. We talk about getting rid of the stigma of mental illness, while punishing those who experience it.

The HFEA intends to use social workers to assess people's history of mental illness. Let's hope that social workers, who know better than most that people with difficulties of all kinds often make good parents, can bring some common sense to the process.