Bourn Hall Clinic celebrate ONE THOUSAND babies born as a result of NHS-funded IVF

On May 1st 2009, the East of England became the first region in the in the UK to implement the NICE (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) guidelines in full. This allows up to 3 ‘fresh’ IVF cycles and 3 frozen cycles of treatment for each eligible patient. This was a landmark decision and created a clear set of eligibility criteria that is easy to understand and interpret.

The arrival of over 1000 NHS funded babies also demonstrates Bourn Hall’s fantastic success rates. The clinic has achieved pregnancy for 70 per cent of its patients within two cycles, far exceeding NHS performance targets.

Adam Burnley, Lead Embryologist at Bourn Hall, explains that the clinic continually invests in the latest technology to maximise the chances of success for every single patient.

“Over recent years advances in digital imaging technology – in combination with conventional microscopy – have enabled us to gain much more knowledge about the very early stages of development.

“For example, we are now able to use a technique known as Intracytoplasmic morphologically selected injection (IMSI) to individually select the best sperm to inject into an egg. This technique takes ICSI (Intra cytoplasmic sperm injection) to the next level and should allow us to boost the chances of success still further.

“We are also one of the first clinics in the country introducing a system which uses intelligent time-lapse photography to help select which embryos to transfer to the uterus. Although there is still so much that we do not know about the beginnings of life, these techniques are helping to inform our decisions.”

Bourn Hall is incredibly proud to have helped so many families in the East of England and with a brand new clinic opening near Norwich in the New Year, this looks set to continue long into the future.

Note: this blog was first published in 2102 sadly the funding landscape has changed. 

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