Dr. Sarah Matthews

Dr. Sarah Matthews is a Consultant in Reproductive Medicine and IVF at the Lister Fertility Clinic in London, part of HCA Healthcare — one of the United Kingdom's foremost private fertility centres. With over 20 years of specialist experience, she has helped thousands of patients and couples navigate the challenges of infertility, achieving pregnancy through a wide range of assisted reproductive technologies.

Dr. Matthews's clinical practice encompasses the full range of fertility treatments, from initial investigation and ovulation induction through to complex IVF cycles involving donor eggs, preimplantation genetic testing, and specialist management of recurrent implantation failure and recurrent miscarriage. She has a particular clinical interest in endometrial receptivity — the study of why some embryos fail to implant despite appearing healthy — and in fertility preservation for women facing medical treatments such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy that may compromise their future fertility.

Her approach to patient care is built on compassion and transparency. She understands that seeking fertility treatment involves significant emotional investment, and she ensures that each patient receives clear, honest counselling about their individual prognosis, treatment options, and the realistic expectations from any given intervention. She works closely with the Lister Fertility Clinic's multidisciplinary team of embryologists, nurses, and counsellors to deliver comprehensive, joined-up care.

Dr. Matthews is an active member of the British Fertility Society (BFS), where her contributions to the field of reproductive medicine have been recognised, and of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE), through which she engages with the latest international research and guidelines. She regularly presents her research at national and European fertility conferences and has been involved in collaborative studies shaping best practice in IVF and fertility preservation.

Dr. Sarah Matthews completed her undergraduate medical degree (MBBS) at a leading London teaching hospital, achieving strong academic results and developing an early interest in women's health and reproductive medicine. She subsequently pursued specialisation in obstetrics and gynaecology, completing her MRCOG (Membership of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists) examinations and gaining broad clinical experience across all areas of women's health before concentrating on reproductive medicine.

She undertook a dedicated fellowship in reproductive medicine and IVF, during which she trained in advanced embryology laboratory practices, hysteroscopic surgery, and the clinical management of complex infertility. Her academic MD research focused on endometrial biology and the factors governing successful embryo implantation — a body of work that continues to influence her clinical practice and research agenda.

Dr. Matthews subsequently attained Fellowship of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (FRCOG), the highest Fellowship awarded to specialists in this field who demonstrate sustained clinical excellence. She has undertaken additional training in fertility preservation techniques and in the use of preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) in IVF cycles, staying at the forefront of rapidly evolving practice in assisted reproduction.

Dr. Matthews's clinical expertise spans the complete spectrum of reproductive medicine and IVF. Her core procedural repertoire includes in vitro fertilisation (IVF), intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), frozen embryo transfer, and egg freezing (oocyte cryopreservation). She has extensive experience coordinating donor egg cycles for patients with premature ovarian insufficiency or poor ovarian reserve, working with the Lister Fertility Clinic's egg donor programme.

A significant aspect of her practice is the management of recurrent implantation failure and recurrent pregnancy loss. She employs a systematic investigative approach to these complex presentations, including endometrial receptivity array (ERA) testing, thrombophilia screening, immune profiling, and uterine assessment via hysteroscopy and 3D ultrasound. Her expertise in hysteroscopy allows her to diagnose and treat uterine abnormalities — including polyps, fibroids, and uterine adhesions — that may impair implantation.

Fertility preservation is another major component of her work. She counsels women with cancer diagnoses on the urgency, feasibility, and methods of egg or embryo freezing before oncological treatment, coordinating closely with oncologists to minimise delays to cancer therapy. She also manages fertility preservation for women with non-oncological indications such as premature ovarian insufficiency and autoimmune conditions requiring gonadotoxic treatment.

Dr. Matthews's research has contributed meaningfully to the understanding of endometrial receptivity and the optimisation of embryo implantation in IVF. Her early MD research into the molecular biology of the endometrial receptivity window — the short period during which the uterine lining is able to accept an embryo — has informed clinical approaches to the timing of embryo transfer in natural and medicated cycles.

More recently, her research has addressed fertility preservation for cancer patients, examining the clinical and psychological outcomes of emergency egg and embryo freezing before chemotherapy. This work, carried out in collaboration with oncology teams at major London hospitals, has contributed to the development of oncofertility clinical pathways and has been presented at ESHRE Annual Meetings and published in leading reproductive medicine journals.

Dr. Matthews has also been involved in multicentre studies evaluating the use of preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) in women with recurrent miscarriage and repeated IVF failure, contributing to ongoing debates about the appropriate use of this technology. She has received British Fertility Society recognition for her research contributions and is committed to evidence-based fertility care.

The Lister Fertility Clinic is well accustomed to welcoming international patients seeking IVF and fertility treatment in London. Dr. Matthews's practice is particularly well suited to international patients who may be travelling to the UK for access to specialist treatment not readily available in their home country, including donor egg IVF, preimplantation genetic testing, or fertility preservation.

For international patients, the clinic provides a comprehensive pathway beginning with a remote initial consultation, during which Dr. Matthews reviews all prior fertility investigations and treatment records. A personalised treatment plan is formulated before arrival, so that travel to London can be timed precisely to align with the treatment cycle. The Lister Fertility Clinic offers streamlined appointment scheduling, coordination with private medical insurance, and dedicated patient liaison staff who can assist with accommodation and logistics. Treatment plans and monitoring protocols can be coordinated with home-country clinicians where feasible, reducing the duration of required stay in London.

Dr. Sarah Matthews has received formal recognition from the British Fertility Society (BFS) for her contributions to reproductive medicine research and clinical practice. She was awarded Fellowship of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (FRCOG), the highest mark of distinction in her specialty.

She has been invited to present her research at BFS Annual Meetings and ESHRE Congresses, and her work on endometrial receptivity and oncofertility has been cited in the scientific literature. Dr. Matthews is recognised by her peers as a clinician who combines technical excellence in IVF with a deeply empathetic approach to patient care — qualities that have earned her consistently high patient satisfaction ratings at the Lister Fertility Clinic. She continues to contribute to training and mentorship of the next generation of reproductive medicine specialists.