Sims IVF Cork has appointed Professor Enda McVeigh, a reproductive medicine specialist attached to Oxford University, as medical director of its clinic at City Gate, Mahon. The appointment brings more than 30 years of clinical, surgical and academic experience to a clinic positioned to keep specialist fertility care in Munster rather than Dublin.

Originally from Tyrone, Professor McVeigh's expertise, set out in the announcement, spans IVF, fertility preservation, endometriosis, PCOS, recurrent miscarriage, menstrual disorders and pelvic pain.

Sims IVF is Dublin-headquartered, with clinics in Clonskeagh, Swords and Cork and satellite clinics in Carlow, Limerick and Dundalk. The Cork clinic was its first permanent facility outside Dublin, opened in response to demand from Munster patients.

"I know how much the small things matter to patients," said McVeigh, who added that clear communication, honesty about uncertainty and availability when questions arise shape the patient experience. He said that for many people "infertility is not just a diagnosis. It's a grief process."

At the first consultation, the clinic defines a clear treatment pathway, starting with whether egg quantity or quality, or a male-factor issue such as a low sperm count, is affecting conception. Infertility affects men and women equally, with a third of cases due to the male, and treatments include IUI, ICSI, IMSI, preimplantation genetic testing, fertility preservation and a donor egg programme.

The structural driver is rising demand for assisted reproduction, with about one in 35 babies born in Europe now conceived through IVF and a growing cohort of solo women and same-sex couples presenting for treatment. "Biological barriers are not necessarily the end of the road," said McVeigh, who pointed to donor, surrogacy, adoption and fostering routes.

Oncology fertility preservation is a priority service, with McVeigh noting that "we want the person to have a full enriched life going forward" after cancer treatment. The clinic also offers preimplantation genetic testing, which screens embryos for chromosomal abnormalities to improve pregnancy rates and reduce miscarriage risk.

For the sector, the appointment confirms that private fertility groups are recruiting senior academic clinicians to anchor regional clinics outside Dublin.

Source: irishexaminer.com / sims.ie / linkedin.com