Fertility Advice, Diagnosis and Treatment

If you want to get pregnant then Bourn Hall is the best place to come for fertility advice, diagnosis and treatment. We aim to boost your natural fertility and increase your chances of conception.

We offer over 40 years of fertility expertise, excellent success rates and personalised treatment in a relaxed environment dedicated to fertility care.

fertility-advice-diagnosis-and-treatment

Free Fertility Advice

To gain advice about your own fertility health, we offer a free consultation with a fertility nurse specialist. The nurse will review your medical history and circumstances and give advice on next steps. This might include lifestyle changes such as weight loss, dietary changes or moderating your exercise and tailored information about fertility testing that might be appropriate for you.

This service is freely available to everyone at all Bourn Hall clinics. It does not require a GP referral, or for you to have been actively trying to conceive, or for you to be in a relationship.

Fertility diagnosis and treatment

Without a GP referral

Bourn Hall offers a range of fertility diagnostic services.

Fertility tests are available within a package or as individual tests and are available without a GP referral. You don’t need to have been trying to get pregnant, there is no waiting list and you will get your results within six weeks.

With a GP referral

If you meet the NHS criteria for fertility diagnosis and treatment then in some areas you will be able to access the NHS Fertility Diagnosis and OI Treatment service at Bourn Hall Clinic.

This means that all the testing is done within the same dedicated fertility clinic with the same staff at each appointment. There is no waiting for the initial appointment and we will organise a schedule that minimises the number of visits required and provides an in depth discussion of the results with a consultant to advise next steps.

NHS fertility diagnosis and treatment service includes:

  • Review with fertility specialist – lifestyle factors and medical history are assessed and advice given
  • Female testing to confirm
    • Eggs are being produced and released regularly
    • The fallopian tubes that transfer the eggs from the ovaries to the womb, are clear and free of obstructions
    • The pelvic area is healthy and clear of obstructions caused by conditions such as endometriosis
    • Hormones controlling menstrual cycle are being produced at correct levels
  • Male tests to include
    • Semen analysis – to check quality and quantity of sperm and their movement
  • Diagnosis and treatment – the results will be reviewed by a fertility consultant and advice given on the next steps this might include:-
    • Ovulation induction with fertility medication to boost egg production and increase the chances of natural conception
    • Onward referral for surgery or for assisted conception treatment.
  • Counselling – we offer support throughout your journey with us.

NHS funding for fertility treatment

The following is the general NICE guidance, but you will need to discuss with your GP and seek advice on your eligibility.

Fertility diagnosis and treatment (NHS funded Level 2 service)

In some areas it is possible to gain funding for the fertility diagnosis and treatment service offered by Bourn Hall. This includes ovulation induction (OI), which is a very successful way of improving the chances of conception for women that are not ovulating (releasing a mature egg once a month). A symptom of an ovulatory disorder is often irregular menstrual cycles. OI boosts egg production and increases the chance of natural conception.

NICE advises (www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg156) that referral for Level 2 fertility services is appropriate for couples who have had regular unprotected sexual intercourse for 12 months and have failed to conceive; unless earlier investigation is indicated.

Additionally, the couple should have been in a stable relationship for more than one year and neither partner should have undergone either sterilisation or reversal of sterilisation in the past.

This service does not include assisted fertility treatments, which are known as NHS Level 3 specialist fertility services.

Assisted Conception Treatments (NHS funded Level 3, specialist fertility services)

If you need assisted conception treatment then additional NHS criteria will apply. Funding for assisted conception depends on the policy of the clinical commissioning group that your GP belongs to. (This map shows the location of the CCGs). You will be offered a choice of NHS Qualified Providers.

Assisted conception includes the following:

IUI Intrauterine Insemination, where sperm is introduced high into the uterus.

IVF In Vitro Fertilisation, where the ovaries are stimulated to produce multiple eggs, which are fertilised with sperm in the laboratory and the resulting embryos transferred to the womb.

ICSI Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection, where, during the IVF process, a single sperm is injected into each egg to assist successful fertilisation

SSR Surgical Sperm Retrieval, where sperm is surgically removed, frozen and stored for use in a future IVF cycle. There are several ways of retrieving sperm.

Treatment with donated eggs or sperm.

If you do not meet the NHS funding criteria you can access all of these services and treatments as a self funded patient. A member of our friendly patient services team will be happy to advise you on costs and different ways to fund your treatment.

More information

We have produced two blogs on the major causes of infertility, one for men and one for women.

You can also read more about how to improve your fertility naturally through your diet, here: for women with PCOS, and for men.

Not everyone needs IVF – sometimes your body needs a little push, which is where ovulation induction comes in.

Bourn Hall is a NHS Qualified Provider of Level 2 services.

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