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Harish Bhandari and Karen Thompson: Summarising Current Practice in ECS and Donor Gamete Selection
Karen Thompson/genusfertility.co.uk and Harish Bhandari/LinkedIn
Oct 4, 2026, 11:08

Harish Bhandari and Karen Thompson: Summarising Current Practice in ECS and Donor Gamete Selection

Harish Bhandari, Honorary Treasurer and Executive Officer at British Fertility Society and Consultant Gynaecologist, Fertility Specialist and Subspecialist in Reproductive Medicine and Surgery at JIVA Fertility, and Karen Thompson, Lead Embryologist and HFEA PR at Genus Medical Fertility, shared a post on LinkedIn about a paper they co-authored with colleagues published in Human Fertility:

“I am delighted to share the publication of the British Fertility Society guidance on ‘The use of gametes from donors who have undergone expanded carrier screening: a guidance for UK practice.’

As ECS becomes increasingly embedded within fertility treatment, particularly in donor gamete selection, it offers important opportunities to reduce genetic risks.

However, the rapid evolution of genomic testing has also created significant challenges for both recipients and healthcare professionals in interpreting results and making informed decisions.

In this paper, we:

Summarise current practice in ECS and donor gamete selection
Highlight emerging challenges arising from the integration of ECS into fertility care
Explore gaps between clinical practice and existing regulatory frameworks
Provide recommendations to support informed, patient-centred decision-making

My sincere thanks to all my co-authors Mariano Mascarenhas, Valerie Shaikly, Karen Thompson, Anneke Lucassen, Debra Bloor and Saffron Townsend Browne for their expertise, collaboration, and commitment in bringing this important work to publication.

I would also like to remember the late Professor Abha Maheshwari, Former Editor-in-Chief of Human Fertility, whose encouragement and support were instrumental in facilitating the publication of this work as a British Fertility Society document.

Her contribution to reproductive medicine and academic publishing is remembered with deep gratitude.

I hope this paper contributes to the ongoing multidisciplinary discussion about the responsible and equitable use of genomic technologies in fertility care.”

Title: The use of gametes from donors who have undergone expanded carrier screening: a guidance for UK practice

Authors: Valerie Shaikly, Mariano Mascarenhas, Anneke Lucassen, Debra Bloor, Saffron Townsend Browne, Karen Thompson, Harish Bhandari, on behalf of the Executive Committees of the British Fertility Society

You can read the Full Article in Human Fertility.

Harish Bhandari

Stay informed with the latest updates in fertility and reproductive medicine on Fertility News.

Abha Maheshwari Anneke Lucassen British Fertility Society Debra Bloor Fertility Fertility News Harish Bhandari Headlines Human Fertility Karen Thompson Mariano Mascarenhas OB-GYN reproductive health Reproductive Medicine Saffron Townsend Browne Townsend Browne Valerie Shaikly Women’s Health
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