http://www.britishfertilitysociety.org.uk

With the encouragement of IVF pioneer Patrick Steptoe, the British Fertility Society was founded in 1972, by a small group with a common interest in infertility. Since then the burgeoning knowledge in this exciting area of medicine has resulted in the development and introduction of many new reproductive technologies and into clinical practice. The interests of the BFS has broadened to a range unimaginable 30 years ago. The British Fertility Society has grown alongside the development of our speciality and now actively promotes the sharing of knowledge, further education and raising standards of practice.

Today, the Society recognises the multi-disciplinary nature of science and practice of reproductive medicine and welcomes andrologists, counsellors, embryologists, endocrinologists, nurses, and other professional groups working in this field, into its membership.

The activities of the BFS are directed by the Executive Committee, elected by the membership. A number of sub-committees have remit for specific areas, namely Ethics, Policy & Practice, Meetings, Membership and Website. The Committees are held quarterly and report to the Annual General Meeting at the Annual BFS Meeting.

Principal Roles

• To provide a common forum for members of various disciplines, with an interest in infertility, reproductive medicine and biology, to meet and discuss practice, research, policy and ethics for the advancement of the subject.
• To promote high quality practice and research by holding scientific meetings and poster sessions, symposia and workshops for educational purposes.
• To hold joint meetings with societies having related interests.
• To seek support for training fellowships, attendance at other national and international fertility society meetings and prizes for high quality submissions to society meetings.
• To publish material aimed at promoting high standards in the discipline.
• To promote high standards of training in all areas of the discipline.
• To liaise with professional and governmental organisations to discuss and promote higher standards in all relevant professional activities.
• To liaise with patient organisations to promote areas of mutual interest.
• To be an effective voice, projected to society, to explain and promote principles and good practice in infertility.
• To respond, on behalf of its membership, to matters of public concern relating to infertility and its treatment.