Fertility treatment in Norfolk offers rapid diagnosis

If you have been trying to start a family for over a year without success then talk to your GP. For those that need fertility treatment in Norfolk there is a consistent pathway for all NHS patients and your GP can refer you directly to a specialist at Bourn Hall for fertility testing, diagnosis and ovulation induction as appropriate.

This joined-up service enables couples to gain a good assessment of their fertility at one clinic, without the need to visit a hospital, and to have a diagnosis in six weeks. Fertility declines with age so a rapid diagnosis gives more options for achieving your dream of having a baby.

Infertility also impacts mental wellbeing and puts stress on relationships; Bourn Hall also provides fertility counselling to help individuals and couples to cope with the fertility journey.

Bourn Hall did a number of tests and told the couple that they had ‘unexplained infertility’, which is when no cause can be found in either partner. Around one in four cases of infertility are classed as unexplained. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends that people with unexplained infertility who have not conceived for over two years of having regular unprotected sex should be offered NHS-funded IVF treatment subject to NHS eligibility criteria.

Fortunately Kirstie and George were eligible for NHS funding for IVF treatment and were able to continue their fertility journey with Bourn Hall – one of the providers selected by the Norfolk CCG to provide IVF treatment to patients in the county.

“Four years later nothing had happened,” says Tasha, now aged 31. “I have always wanted to be a mum. I work as a veterinary nurse and am naturally a nurturing person. Everyone around me had started to have children and in the end I had to come off social media because of the constant reminders that someone else I knew was pregnant.”

Tasha went to see her GP, who arranged for her to have some blood tests – which didn’t identify any issues. “I then frogmarched Adam down to the GP so that he could be tested as well,” she says. “Adam’s tests showed that his sperm had slightly low motility and we were told that we could be referred for further, more specialist diagnostic testing.”

HyCoSy to check tubes

At Bourn Hall Tasha had a HyCoSy test to check that her fallopian tubes were clear. Tasha’s periods had always been painful and heavy, which can be a sign of conditions such as endometriosis which can cause scarring to the tubes, but the HyCoSy test revealed that her tubes were clear.

Semen analysis to check sperm quality

Adam had a semen (sperm) analysis, which involves a series of measurements including the concentration of sperm and how many are motile (moving as they should), progressive, and normal in shape. If one or more of these measurements is below the normal range it could impair fertility. Adam’s tests revealed that he still had slow sperm motility and Bourn Hall advised that, although it still might be possible for the couple to conceive naturally, IVF would be their best option as they had already been actively trying for more than four years.

“I was really focused on what needed to be done and whenever I felt like comfort eating I stopped myself because I knew I was doing it for the greater good.” Tasha lost a stone and the couple were ready to embark on their IVF treatment at Bourn Hall.

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