April 2022 | As in previous years, GameteExpert selects the best performers of andrology and embryology assessment.  This year the three frontrunners for andrology come from United Kingdom and for embryology from United Kingdom and Hong Kong.

The ranking results from inputs of 585 participants of 275 andrology labs and 349 participants of 114 embryology labs. 94% of participants are from Europe, 4% from Asia and 2% from America.

All participants joined the Reproductive Science Scheme of UK NEQAS. GameteExpert collects the input data of this scheme and delivers them to UK NEQAS for external quality assessment and performance reporting.

Independently from UK NEQAS, GameteExpert determines the performance of each participant by calculating the match with calculated consensus.

The ranking shown in this newsletter is in no relation to UK NEQAS and without input from them. Consequently, it gives no statement of performance in the UK NEQAS system.

The time-lapse annotation for blastocyst assessment, which was not compulsory for UK NEQAS performance reporting, is included in selection of the best performers.

We considered only participants with individual logins who have participated over the period of last two years.

The UK NEQAS service will be carried out by the Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust on behalf of United Kingdom National External Quality Assessment Service (UK NEQAS).

The UK NEQAS  Reproductive Science Scheme, which consists of 4 distributions per annum, offers 2 assessment schemes: Embryology and Andrology.

The best performer of the andrology laboratories, after achieving third place in 2019, second place in 2020, is Dr Tom Connolly.

Tom is an HCPC registered clinical embryologist, biopsy practitioner and lab manager at CREATE Fertility Manchester.

CREATE Fertility Manchester is one of 11 subsidiaries of Create Health Ltd. which was founded by Professor Geeta Nargund  in 2000. CREATE Ferility is specialises in Natural/Mild IVF.

The CREATE Fertility Manchester clinic was opened in 2017, and offers a full range of services including: IVF, ICSI, surgical sperm retrieval, vitrification of oocytes and blastocysts, egg and sperm donor programmes and a pre-implantation genetic testing service.

The second best performer of the andrology laboratories, after third place in 2021, is Shiva Joshi, working for blood sciences department at Croydon University Hospital (SWLP).

With a keen interest in Andrology, Shiva Joshi has 7+ years of experience within the field. He previously worked at Hammersmith Hospital Imperial College NHS Trust where he gained experience of doing Cryopreservation in a HFEA licensed laboratory. Currently, Shiva Joshi works as a Specialist Biomedical Scientist at Croydon University Hospital, mainly rotating between Clinical Biochemistry and Andrology departments.

The andrology department at Croydon University Hospital is led by Frederick Mpambire BSc MSc (SWLP Spoke Site Manager), Wendy Armstrong BSc (Hons) MSc FRCPath (Consultant clinical scientist) and by Dr. Leslie Perry (Consultant Lead Clinical Biochemist). 

The graphic shows the performance of Shiva Joshi over last two years (blue line).

The Croydon University Hospital provides more than 100 specialist services and is home to the borough’s only Emergency Department and 24/7 maternity services, including a labour ward, midwifery-led birth centre and the Crocus home birthing team.

The third best performer of the andrology laboratories is Clare Gardner, Specialist Biomedical Scientist in Clinical Microbiology at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. As part of her role she is a member of the laboratory’s andrology team, performing fertility and post-vasectomy semen analysis.
 
Clare has worked in Microbiology for 15 years, becoming a HCPC registered Biomedical Scientist ten years ago following completion of her MSc in Medical and Molecular Microbiology.








The graphic shows the performance of Clare Gardner over last two years (blue line).

Based in Preston in the North-West of England, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves up to 1.5 million people from Lancashire and South Cumbria. The Andrology department analyses approximately 1000 specimens annually for patients in the local area requiring initial screening for fertility investigations and post-vasectomy testing.

Top Performers Embryology

The best performer of the embryrology laboratories, after achieving first place in 2018, 2020 and 2021, is Dr Tom Connolly.

Tom is an HCPC registered clinical embryologist, biopsy practitioner and lab manager at CREATE Fertility Manchester.
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CREATE Fertility Manchester is one of 11 subsidiaries of Create Health Ltd. which was founded by Professor Geeta Nargund  in 2000. CREATE Ferility is specialises in Natural/Mild IVF.

The CREATE Fertility Manchester clinic was opened in 2017, and offers a full range of services including: IVF, ICSI, surgical sperm retrieval, vitrification of oocytes and blastocysts, egg and sperm donor programmes and a pre-implantation genetic testing service.

The second best performer of the embryology laboratories, after third place in 2021, is Cecilia Chung, working at Union Reproductive Medicine Centre.

Cecilia is an embryologist with a master in reproductive medicine and clinical embryology.

The graphic shows the performance of

The Union Reproductive Medicine Centre (URMC) in Sha Tin, Hong Kong, established in 2000, became the first and the only private hospital in New Territories that provides assisted reproductive service.

URMC has published an annual report since 2014.

In 2009, a sister unit was opened in Tsim Sha Tsui.

The URMC is affiliated with Union Hospital.

The third best performer of the embryology laboratories is Katherine Greer.

Katherine is HCPC registered Clinical Embryologist working at Cambridge IVF. As member of the laboratory team she has worked as an Embryologist for the past 11 years.

The graphic shows the performance of Katherine Greer over last two years (blue line).

Cambridge IVF was opened in May 2012. The unit’s heritage goes back to the early 1990s when the university hospital's assisted conception satellite service was first licensed.

Cambridge IVF is a purpose-built assisted conception unit which offers a full range of fertility treatments and high-quality care based on the very latest science and fertility research within the East of England.