Bourn Hall Cambridge

[Figaro82]

We are in the process of deciding which clinic to use under NHS treatment and Bourn Hall seems to be our best option. Has anyone used them?

[marshmallowqueen]

Hello,

I am just undergoing my 2nd NHS funded IVF cycle at Bourn Hall. Can only say that the care I have received has been brilliant. The staff are all friendly and have a very positive outlook. I wouldn't hesitate in recommending them.

[hedgehog1975]

We are thinking about Bourn too so that's good to hear. Are you NHS Figaro? We are and we have a choice of Bourn Hall, Hammersmith, another London clinic, Oxford and Leicester (don't know why - it's miles away!). Bourn is best travel-wise so it's good to hear positive things about it!

[Figaro82]

Only just seen these ladies! Thank you for the recommendation marshmallow! Hedgehog, yes NHS funded and had the same choices as you! Bourn Hall makes sense for us too plus it has a great reputation! I just want to make our decision now which we don't do till January!

[hedgehog1975]

We have to in January too - if I'm not pregnant by the end of Jan we'll get referred at our appointment then. My accupuncturist says Oxford has a very good reputation but Bourn is only about 30 miles away so less stressful all round. Good luck! x

[Figaro82]

Might see you at one of their group nhs meetings then hedgehog! Good luck to you too, it's not that long to wait now! X

[Monkfish79]

I had two fresh cycles at Bourn Hall and a load of frozen cycles. Had some negative experiences and felt like I was on a conveyor belt, if that makes any sense. Changed to Oxford (with satellite care at new Cambridge unit for monitoring appointments) and couldn't have been happier with the change. I felt the care I got was more personal and my experiences with egg collection and embryo transfer there were a million times better. Also got pregnant! Dd is 14 weeks old now! I'm not saying Bourn is bad, but I didn't really understand their "excellent reputation". My consultant at Addenbrookes said he'd recommend Oxford over Bourn Hall. Bourn Hall may of course have pulled their socks up in the last year or two. And I have spoken to others who were totally happy with it, but that wasn't my experience.

[Livelonglovemuch]

Yes monkfish I have found the same and I have addressed my concerns over several concerns but they are not bothered and they have treated me worse since informing them of how I feel. This I feel is due to the fact I was about to have my eggs out when the issues started happening. Well it went from bad to worse and tomorrow I am due to have my eggs put back in me unless they sabotage them. I felt quiet alone and my husband was also distressed over the list of issues we are having and he said they just don't care we are just a nhs number to them.
My friend also was unhappy at the clinic as well as the lady in bed next to me on Monday, however I did not get to see her face or talk to her but she was not happy at all with no information being given to her on eggs removed and she also did not get a pain killer up the bum as I didn't. I had to ask after surgery.
I feel the centre this round has not set me up with the right tools to try to get pregnant.
My first round at this centre was fine but these last two awful and bad service/stressful experience.
Please also be aware when a clinic says we have had no complaints before (as they did) it's a lie and I urge you to go to nhs if your funded as well as Bourn and hfea as I feel a concern over patients like my friend who didn't want to speak out. Nhs are currently assisting and I'm very happy that I contacted them. Wish me luck for transfer tomorrow with the clinic from hell. In addition I'm having to continue as I was told I would loose the go by the clinic and as we all know you have to wait 6months to re start so my husband said just go through motions and by the end the nhs might have sorted it all out.
Conveyor belt defo hence mess ups
Once nurses recognise you they feel on your 2nd etc goes you should be like an Ivf doctor and understand all procedures and their jargon
The list goes on

[Peamum]

I only had one cycle at Bourn. We weren't eligible for nhs funding so paid for everything. I was hugely disappointed with all of it. Even the follow up consultation was contradictory compared to what we were advised for the first round. Definitely felt like it was just all about the money. Thinking of trying one more cycle but actually looking at going to Greece!

[Sydney2015]

We are currently undergoing treatment at the Borne hall clinic at Cambridge and so far we have found this clinic awful. We pay privately, but we are not people with a lot of money, so to go somewhere else would mean we would lose money.
The service is appalling, rarely kept informed, told to go off and research, when it's impossible in our circumstances, which the consultant did apologise for, as that should not of happened. Paid for a full consultation, got 15mins, because the doctor had not realised. Not told about all the tests that needed doing and almost missed the first treatment. The first treatment was not successful and we have just been left, having absolutely no idea what is next or when we can try again. Even paying privately does not guarantee a good service, which really shocks us. Not that we should receive a better service because we pay privately, but it is difficult when your savings are depleting and you are getting a poor service. You are at the mercy of the experts in a highly emotive situation and you get better service at MacDonalds when they get your food order wrong.

[Peamum]

I've heard recently from my acupuncturist that she has had several clients very disappointed by Bourn Hall. So we're not alone. We too had to go private but we really don't have money to just keep throwing at it. This could help you though lovey www.yourivfjourney.com. I've read good stiff about this particular clinic and we are seriously considering it. Xx

[CatnipMouse]

Hi there. I had three ICSI cycles at BH - one frozen and two fresh, on the NHS. Just thought I'd add my perspective. I have found them pretty good overall although there were a few things they didn't tell me about until I asked. These were to do with 'extras' you can pay for yourself while having most of the treatment NHS-funded -things that may improve your chances such as endometrial scratching and embryo glue. During cycles I felt pretty well monitored and well looked after. I think you do have to be a bit proactive but there is a lot of information around IVF that would be totally overwhelming if someone told you it all in one go. The counsellor who works there is good as well.

Their 'slogan' is something like 'each person is an individual, each treatment is unique' but I didn't feel that the treatment I had was especially tailored for me. I think for the first cycle they have a standard protocol chosen because it works best for the largest number of people, and then after that it is tweaked as necessary. But the standard one worked fine for me so no tweaking necessary. I was well sedated for egg collection and embryo transfer was always fine. They gave me anti-nausea medication for the second egg collection as the first time I was really really sick afterwards (anaesthetics / sedation don't agree with me). Embryology were happy to talk through the progress of the fertilised eggs in the lab, which I appreciated.

One of the annoying things was that we have seen several different consultants there rather than building a relationship with just one person - although it probably would have been possible to have the same person throughout if I'd been prepared to wait rather than just asking for the next available appointment. They were all fine though - some more business like than others but then you don't want a new best friend, you want someone who is good at their job. I think their success rates are pretty good overall although I haven't compared them recently.

And finally don't underestimate the impact of travel - BH was by far the nearest clinic for us and during stimulation you have several scans. It meant that I could fit my work in around the treatment and if I'd been trekking down to London or across to Oxford it would have been much more difficult (and hence more stressful, and the whole thing is quite stressful enough as it is).

I did get pregnant once there but it ended in m/c (not their fault at all) so this broadly positive review isn't from someone who forgot all the bad bits immediately after having a baby!

[Hannahcat77]

I know this is an old thread but it's very relevant to me right now as it's Another bad experience I'm
Afraid.. we have just completed our 2nd cycle and generally through both cycles I have felt that the personal service, I guess it'd fall under customer care actually has just been a bit lacking. I don't think their reputation is justified at all and also have felt like I was on a conveyor belt at times.
It's difficult to even contact them and speak to a person most of the time I was leaving messages on an answer machine and getting email responses. Given the personal nature of their business I expected the treatment of customers to be outstanding.
I think it's that they have been doing it a long time and they have forgotten how to provide a caring service.
I'm not a bitter customer as I have just had my Positive result 🎉😄but I can't wait to start dealing with my own GP again

[motherchuckinhen16]

I would not recommend Bourne Hall. Through 2 fresh cycles of IVF in 2014 the so called experts failed to diagnose my PCOS. The overall feeling is of being on a conveyor belt and an uncaring service. In 2016 I went to Create in Herts for a private consultation, was diagnosed pcos after being told previously at Bourne it was unexplained infertility. After following the Create consultants advice I fell pregnant naturally within 3 months and with no medication, just a diet change and Inofolic supplement, I'm now 21 weeks pregnant with my little miracle :-) good luck x

[Ivfjourney123]

Hi Ladies, I too have had the most traumatic experience of my life with Bourn Hall. I complained as I felt the aftercare was non existent and as many others have said it was not in anyway personalised. The term convaer belt of care is completely right. As a result of me refusing to withdraw my complaint my treatment was cancelled 10 days before it was due to start. We are absolutely devastated as it means we now have to find a new clinic. The whole point of our complaint was in the hope they would address issues and make improvements, instead they have banned us from the clinic. This means we need to find a new clinic only 10 days before treatment. I'm sure you will all understand that that's impossible and our whole life is now upside down. Sorry for the long post but if any of you would support me by sharing your experience to support what I am saying it would really help as the chief executive accused me of being 'irratic and having some kind of psychological imbalance' today! Nice guy hey!