A robust quality management system (QMS) is crucial to ensure the oocyte collection procedure in the IVF laboratory is fit for purpose. The QMS is a stipulation of the HFEA licence and comprises quality control, quality assurance and quality improvement. For a successful egg collection, the following quality aspects must be considered: equipment selection and validation, temperature monitoring, air quality, reprotoxicity, traceability, batch testing, risk assessment, training, process validation, competence, key performance indicators, audit, documentation, and third-party agreements. Quality activities are infiltrated throughout the whole process of egg collection to achieve the best possible outcome for the patient, and to make continual improvements.

Cryopreservation is a fundamental adjunct for any in vitro fertilisation (IVF) programme for both gametes and embryos. Sperm can be frozen for use in donor cycles, treatment cycles or to preserve fertility. After the first successful frozen-thawed embryo live birth was reported in 1983, embryo cryopreservation is routinely used to store supernumerary embryos, to improve cumulative pregnancy rates and to help effectively implement a single embryo transfer policy. However, oocyte cryopreservation has proved to be more challenging as the survival rates and pregnancy rates were initially low.