Work has begun to build a state-of-the-art fertility clinic in Wickford.

Bourn Hall will be a purpose-built centre offering fertility health and wellbeing checks, to quickly identify the cause of infertility, and a range of treatments. The clinic will have its own embryology laboratory so all treatment can take place on-site.

For the last four years there has been a satellite Bourn Hall clinic in Wickford which has helped more than 100 babies to be born. The full service clinic will offer a broader range of treatments.

The diggers have now moved in for the first phase of the construction of the IVF clinic and the work will be completed early next year.

Bourn Hall’s regional clinic manager Sarah Pallett said: “We are delighted with the success rates in Wickford; over 100 babies have been born so far with another 50 on the way.

“The existing clinic has proved to be very popular with patients, so it seemed a logical step to locate a full-service clinic in the town. The additional space will allow us to offer a wider range of fertility treatments to more people.”

The new purpose-built centre is to be located on London Road, Wickford and will have capacity for 1,000 IVF cycles a year. It is the first time that Bourn Hall has commissioned a new build and it is anticipated that it will form a blueprint for further clinics.

The project is being undertaken by the Healthcare Property Company, based in Maldon, and the building work is being done by Southend construction company AW Hardy. Architects BRP have designed the clinic to the highest specifications.

More details are available on the Bourn Hall Clinic website bourn-hall-clinic.co.uk.

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Growing up in a large family, Gemma Kerr, an NHS administrator from Rochford in Essex, always imagined having children of her own one day.

However, when she was in her mid-twenties Gemma was diagnosed with fibroids and hospital scans also revealed that she had a number of cysts. "I was told by the doctors then that the fibroids and cysts shouldn’t affect my ability to have children but it made me more nervous about my prospects," she admits.

A couple of years later, after getting engaged to Kirk, the couple started trying for a baby.

"I came off the pill so that we could start a family but my periods just didn’t come back properly," Gemma said. "We consulted a doctor quite early on but were told that we needed to have been trying for longer before seeking help."

Hospital tests proved inconclusive, with Kirk’s sperm count varying between tests and no definitive evidence that Gemma’s fibroids were causing the problem.

"Eventually we were referred for IVF treatment and it was such a relief!" exclaimed Gemma. "I was already over 30 so it was important to me that we didn’t have to wait too long for treatment. We looked at the options available to us and chose Bourn Hall Clinic in Wickford because it was so local and convenient."

All of Gemma and Kirk’s appointments were at Bourn Hall’s satellite clinic in Wickford apart from two visits for egg collection and embryo transfer at the full-service clinic in Colchester.

"If we had been able to have all of our treatment at Wickford it would have been absolutely brilliant," she said. "It would have put us at ease. I was nervous enough on the day when the embryo was implanted so it would have been nice to have it done in Wickford where we had all of our other appointments and which had become so familiar to us. We had got to know the receptionist, we even sat in the same seats each time when we visited; it would have been nice to have had that familiarity."

Gemma’s treatment at Bourn Hall began in January 2014 and the couple were absolutely elated when Gemma became pregnant on the first attempt.

Their baby Matthew was born nine months later.

"We still cannot quite believe it," said Gemma. "Matthew is our absolute world, everything and much more than we could have hoped for. He is now walking, he is absolutely amazing, so happy and content."

The couple haven’t ruled out expanding their family further and Gemma, who has had no problems with her fibroids since her pregnancy and now has regular periods, says that she may now have a better chance of falling pregnant without needing fertility treatment.

"My body seems to have re-set itself," she laughed. "So it is possible that I may fall pregnant naturally in the future. If not, I wouldn’t hesitate to go back to Bourn Hall."

Baby Darcy is one of the first 35 babies born as a result of fertility treatment at the Bourn Hall satellite clinic in Wickford. For her parents, IVF was a last resort and a treatment for which they are very grateful.

Kirsty Edwards, 27, and Michael Richards, 28, have always lived in Southend, They first met at school but it wasn’t until 2010 that they got together and started trying for a baby.

“Initially we didn’t think we would have a problem” said Kirsty. “We were optimistic that I’d become pregnant naturally when I came off the pill.”

After 18 months of trying the couple decided to go to their GP and seek advice. Tests revealed that Kirsty had polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a common condition that affects a woman’s ovaries. Kirsty was told that her follicles were not developing properly and this could be the reducing her chances of conceiving.

Kirsty then had an operation which was unsuccessful and several courses of treatment to stimulate her ovaries but nothing seemed to work.

“We had reached the point where all our options seemed to have been eliminated and we felt very down and frustrated” said Kirsty. “But then we saw the consultant and were offered the chance of NHS funded IVF treatment.”

The couple saw an article in the paper about a couple who successfully had a baby following IVF treatment with Bourn Hall and that confirmed their decision to go to the clinic.

“Reading about their story gave us faith and hope for our journey," said Kirsty.

On May 1 2014 Kirsty began a two week course of injections to help boost her ovulation. Five days after successful egg collection, the couple went to Bourn Hall’s Colchester clinic for their embryo transfer, one embryo was selected and carefully put into Kirsty’s womb.

“The anticipation was enormous,” said Kirsty. “On the 2 June I was allowed to do the home test. I couldn’t look at the result so handed the pregnancy test to Michael to read. He said ‘wow darling, it’s two lines. We’re pregnant!’

“I couldn’t believe what I was hearing and as I had a spare pregnancy test I did that too, which also showed two lines but still not believing my eyes I got Michael to walk with me to our local shop, where we got a digital tester.

“Back home again, and in the bathroom, I burst into tears when it read ‘pregnant 2-3 weeks’.”

On 1 February 2015 baby Darcy was born.

Kirsty said: “Words can’t describe how it feels to be a Mum. We’ve been through such highs and lows to get Darcy it’s still hard to believe she’s here now.

“We are so lucky and so grateful to Bourn Hall for helping us have this opportunity and giving us our bundle of joy.”