Bourn Hall Clinic

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Bourn Hall Clinic

Bourn Hall Clinic in Bourn, Cambridgeshire, England, is one of the world's leading centres for the treatment of infertility in couples. The original building, Bourn Hall, is about 400 years old. Since becoming a medical centre the clinic has seen great expansion.

Bourn Hall Clinic was founded in 1980 by IVF pioneers Mr Patrick Steptoe and Professor Robert Edwards, who had been responsible for the conception of Louise Brown, the world's first IVF or test-tube baby in 1978.

Since its foundation the clinic has assisted in the conception of over 6,000 babies.

Following the death of Patrick Steptoe in 1988 the Medical Director has been Peter Brinsden, who was appointed in March 1989.

[edit] Controversy

In March 2008 the British press reported the case of a woman who forged her estranged husband's signature on a consent form for IVF treatment at Bourn Hall Clinic to use frozen embryos that the couple had created together. The woman then went on to have two children without her husband's knowledge or consent. Fertility clinics, by law, must obtain written consent from the male in a relationship, but do not require him to attend the clinic in person. The man only found out that he was a father when one of the children became seriously ill and he was contacted by a relative.

The husband has sought legal advice concerning the matter.^[1]