
Bourn Hall Fertility Clinic, Wickford
Fertility Medicine, Obstetrics & Gynaecology
Our experience with Bourn Hall Wickford was extremely disappointing, particularly in relation to the consultant responsible for our treatment. My wife has endometriosis and therefore required careful and individualised consideration throughout the IVF process. Unfortunately, from our very first consultation, we felt that the consultant was dismissive and unprofessional. We were told that we should not be there at all and that our chances of pregnancy were only around 5%. This was extremely demoralising, particularly as we had already been accepted for IVF treatment. What concerned us most was that, despite the complexity of my wife's condition, we had very little direct contact with the consultant throughout the following year. Important decisions were made without what we felt was adequate discussion with us. We specifically raised the issue of frozen embryo transfer because all specialists treating my wife's endometriosis had recommended this approach, but we did not feel that our concerns were properly listened to. The lack of personal communication was particularly disappointing. On occasions when the consultant passed through the waiting area while my wife was there, she would not even acknowledge or greet her. Regardless of the clinical circumstances, we believe patients undergoing such an emotionally and physically demanding treatment deserve basic courtesy and communication from the doctor responsible for their care. Our first cycle subsequently resulted in an ectopic pregnancy and a hospital admission. We fully understand that an ectopic pregnancy is a recognised complication of IVF and are not claiming that the clinic caused it. However, the way our concerns had been handled beforehand made the experience considerably more difficult for us. Following the ectopic pregnancy, we also felt there was insufficient communication from Bourn Hall. A scheduled scan was cancelled after we informed the clinic about our UCL hospital assessment, but we received no proactive follow-up or clear guidance about what would happen next. We ultimately decided not to continue with Bourn Hall Wickford for our second cycle and moved to a different clinic. This review is not intended to criticise the nurses or other members of staff, many of whom were helpful. Our concern is specifically about the consultant-led care, communication, and the lack of feeling heard as patients with a complex medical history. For us, IVF is a major physical, emotional and financial commitment. We expected our concerns to be listened to, our treatment options to be properly discussed, and to feel that the consultant genuinely cared about our case. Unfortunately, that was not our experience.