Bristol Centre for Reproductive Medicine (BCRM) has appointed a new consultant gynaecologist and subspecialist in reproductive medicine and surgery.

Dr Guy Morris joins the clinic’s Aztec West team, led by internationally acclaimed consultant gynaecologist and fertility expert Dr Valentine Akande.

He brings a wealth of expertise in fertility preservation, reproductive endocrinology, and male factor subfertility to the role, boosting the clinic's capabilities in these crucial areas.

Said Dr Morris: “I’m thrilled to be joining BCRM and to be able to draw and lean on its collective experience at the start of my consulting career.

“BCRM has been in place since the 90s; its core team having been together for a very long time and have a huge amount of experience.

“There is a great sense of community among the people who work there who form a tight knit group, which it is a privilege to be part of.

“The clinic has world recognised experts involved in ground-breaking research and has one of the best success rates with IVF and other fertility treatments.”

Dr Morris, who also works in the Gynaecology Department at North Bristol NHS Trust, says he is keen to raise awareness of male subfertility in his new role.

He added: “In the past, the emphasis was primarily on the woman's reproductive health.

“However, there's been a noticeable shift towards a more holistic approach, both among the individuals and couples seeking assistance and among clinicians.

“There is now more focus on andrology, the direct equivalent of gynaecology, treating conditions that are unique to men.

“We're now paying closer attention to the male partner's role in fertility; this more balanced consideration of both partners' needs represents a positive evolution in our approach."

Therapy for male subfertility includes drug treatment or procedures for sperm retrieval by removing a sample of sperm cells from the epididymis, a narrow, tightly coiled tube that is attached to each of the testicles, or in a slightly more invasive way by going into the testicle itself.

BCRM was set up as a joint research project between the University of Bristol and Southmead Hospital in 1983 and provides fertility treatment for both private and NHS patients.

The clinic is involved in innovative research and has one of the best success rates with IVF and other fertility treatments in the UK.