Dr Anthony Rutherford

Consultant in Reproductive Medicine

With a career spanning 37 years, Tony is a key figure in IVF and reproductive medicine, contributing both nationally and internationally.

Training

Tony held training posts in London, Leeds and Hull before being appointed as a Consultant in Leeds in 1991. During his time there, he set up the Reproductive Medicine Unit at Leeds General Infirmary. In 2009, he led the amalgamation of the two Leeds IVF units to form Leeds Fertility, which subsequently became one of the largest and most successful units in the UK. Tony now leads the experienced and diverse team Care Fertility Leeds as Medical Director.

Career

Over the last 37 years, Tony has played an active role in the field of IV and reproductive medicine, both nationally and internationally. He served on the committee that prepared the original NICE Guidelines on the Management and Assessment of Fertility in 2004. He continued his involvement with NICE as an Expert Advisor to NICE until 2022. Tony dedicated 17 years to the committee of the British Fertility Society (BFS), reaching the position of Chair of the Society from 2009-2012.

Internationally, he represented the UK on the Executive and Scientific Committees of the International Federation of Fertility Societies for 6 years, as well as contributing to the European Assisted Conception Consortium and the International Advisory Board of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine.

Tony has collaborated closely with the Department of Health, serving as clinical lead for the 18-week Care Pathway for Fertility, significantly reducing waiting times for IVF on the NHS. He also contributed to the development of the Map of Medicine for Fertility, offering web-based guidance for all GPs on fertility management. He also played a pivotal role as the clinical lead in the HFEA initiative to reduce multiple births resulting from assisted conception treatment in the UK.

In 2014, the Department of Health appointed him as a Clinical Member of the HFEA Board, a position he held for 2 terms until November 2020. Tony has actively contributed to research, with particular interests in IVF stimulation, in-vitro maturation of oocytes, preimplantation genetic diagnosis, and fertility preservation, with a portfolio of over 100 peer-reviewed articles.