It has helped more than 4000 babies to be born to families from across Scotland struggling to conceive.
The Assisted Conception Unit at Ninewells Hospital, which has one of the highest success rates in the UK, is now celebrating its 24th anniversary.
Officially opened in on August 1, 1994, the unit was the fist of its kind in Scotland to offer fertility treatment free of charge on the NHS, making the previously unattainable dream of having a family a reality for many who suffer from infertility problems.
Earlier this summer the world’s first person to be born from IVF, Louise Brown – born at Oldham and District General Hospital – celebrated her 40th birthday on July 25.
Anne McConnell, manager of the ACU, said: “Although we got a purpose built unit, which opened in 1994, we have actually been offering IVF and other treatments since 1984. The first IVF baby was born on August 12, 1984.
“We just didn’t have a dedicated space and we had to make do with using space on other wards and theatres.
“We have come a long way since then. We have more staff, new technologies are emerging all the time and success rates are higher.
“The success rate now is around 36 per cent, whereas when we started it was around 10 per cent.”
As well as helping families in Tayside, the ACU has also helped patients from other health boards including Fife and Forth Valley.
In 2012, the unit was refurbished and extended in order to modernise it.
Despite its success, staff said that finding egg and sperm donors could be a struggle at times and have urged anyone interested to get in touch.
Ellen Drew, lead clinical embryologist at the unit, explained: “We do have certain criteria for donors, such as being under 41 for men and under 36 for women, as well as being a non-smoker and within the healthy BMI range.
“We welcome enquiries and would like to be able to recruit more donors who meet the criteria.
“It is a very rewarding thing to do, giving somebody the gift of a family.”
To find out more about how you could become a donor, e-mail Anne at anne.mcconnell@nhs.net
