If you already have embryo’s or want to start the process in your home country you’ll likely be wondering ‘How does this work?’ and ‘How can you be sure your precious cargo is safe?’ In this episode we’re joined by Debbie Evans, Clinical and Compliance Lead at MSJ and Lucy Richardson, Lab and Quality Director at Herts and Essex Fertility Clinic to help you understand the process. Covering how the transportation takes place but also what regulations are in place, techniques for freezing and thawing as well as whether your embryo’s can be returned to the UK if need be.

Debbie Evans – MSJ Clinical and Compliance Director

Debbie qualified as an RGN in 1985. She specialised for 25+ years on fertility management and previously worked with Herts & Essex Fertility Centre as Director of Nursing & Clinical Services, where she took ownership of the day-to-day clinical management of the Centre with Direct responsibility for 40+ members of staff. Her senior role did not change her approach or work ethos; she is as passionate about patient care as when she first joined the nursing profession.

Debbie was a founding member of SING (Senior Infertility Nurse Group) and held the positions of both secretary and Chair. SING was set up to support nurses in the fertility industry by providing peer support, guidance, and encouragement to its members, but it quickly became recognised as a major stakeholder within the industry, providing guidance on policy and practice.

She has now retired from Herts & Essex Fertility Centre and joined us here at My Surrogacy Journey at the beginning of January as Clinical & Compliance Director

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Lucy Richardson BSc (Hons) PhD

Laboratory & Quality Director Herts and Essex Fertility Clinic

Lucy’s career began with an illustrious First Class degree in Anatomy and Developmental Biology from University College London in 2003, receiving the highest degree mark for that year. She won a BBSRC studentship to study for her PhD in Embryology at The University of Cambridge’s Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, where she investigated the origins of embryonic axis formation. One of her discoveries resulted in several scientific papers and presentations at national and international medical conferences.

She continued her clinical embryology training at a large central London clinic after which she moved to a privately run clinic in Kent before joining the Herts & Essex team as a Clinical Embryologist in 2013. In 2018 she was promoted to the position of Laboratory Director. In addition to her responsibilities within the laboratory, in December 2023, Lucy also took on the role of the Quality Director and Data Protection Officer following the restructuring of the Senior Management Team. Lucy is a Clinical Scientist registered with the Health and Care Professions Council and has been instrumental in training Embryologists via the ACE Certificate and more recently by acting as an assessor for the National School of Healthcare Science Scientific Training Programme. She has overseen Embryologists' successful applications for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council via The Association of Clinical Scientists and regularly volunteers as a scientific advisor for the charity Chana.

This podcast was recorded at My Surrogacy Journey's Mexico City offices in Polanco, edited by Steve Randall and brought to you by Talulah and The Duke Productions.

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