The Story Of Midland Fertility Services (MFS)
When MFS was established in 1987 it was one of the first IVF units in the UK.
Today MFS maintains its unique position by providing the highest quality fertility treatments to both private and NHS-funded patients.
21 Magical Years for MFS
MFS’ many achievements include carrying out the first NHS-funded treatment in 1992 and introducing ICSI treatment to the West Midlands in 1994. In 1994 MFS also became the first assisted conception unit in the world to achieve accreditation BS EN ISO 9002:1994, emphasising the importance placed on providing the highest quality service to all patients and clients.
In 2000 MFS was the first UK clinic to use Inhibin B to assess ovarian reserve, a significant diagnostic development giving women patients a true indication of their potential fertility; this was then superceded in 2008 with the introduction to MFS of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH). In 2002 the unit celebrated the birth of the UK’s first baby born using a mother’s previously frozen egg, following treatment at MFS. MFS continues to be the only UK fertility clinic that has achieved live births from the mothers’ thawed frozen eggs after the birth of four babies since 2002. In 2002 MFS performed the first NHS-funded egg freeze for a young woman cancer patient and since then has established a reputation as UK centre for fertility preservation for cancer patients.
Milestone dates have included the births of the 2,500th and 3,000th babies born after treatment at the clinic in 2003 and 2004. And in September 2005, from their mother’s own eggs, the UK’s first ‘frozen egg’ twins were born after treatment at MFS, followed by the first ‘frozen egg’ boy in December 2005. In April 2006 the clinic’s first ‘Viagra twins’ were born following the mother’s treatment with Viagra to thicken her womb lining as part of her fertility treatment at MFS. ‘Baby 3,500’ arrived in 2006, just in time for the MFS 19th birthday party and ‘Baby 4,000’, in 2008.
More than 1,000 current and former patients and their babies, children and growing teenagers joined MFS staff to celebrate the clinic’s 21st birthday at a huge party in June 2008. The clinic also marked the year with a unique 21st anniversary photograph of MFS babies ranging in age from two months to 20 years old.
Later in the year, building on its reputation for cryopreservation of sperm, eggs and embryos, MFS brought the vitrification ‘flash-freezing’ process to the West Midlands.
In its first 22 years MFS registered more than 17,000 patients, completed almost 12,000 IVF and ICSI cycles and has welcomed more than 4,000 babies into the world.
Growing from the original team of four, MFS now has 55 staff, including doctors, nurses, embryologists, technicians, independent counsellors and business support staff.
MFS is licensed by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (centre number 008) to provide IVF, ICSI, and for egg, sperm and embryo donation and cryopreservation.