The new guidelines are intended to create a level playing field. As many as 45,000 couples seek fertility treatment in England and Wales every year. Under the new rules, women will be offered up to three rounds of treatment and the option of having spare embryos frozen for future use, which could result in a cost of more than £10,000 each.
The recommendations, which were published for consultation yesterday, were welcomed by patient groups but Simon Burns, shadow minister for health, said they would divert resources away from other services.
"The government has made no new money available, nor has it ring-fenced the money for the IVF treatment. So with the financial pressure on the NHS it will create a situation where Peter robs Paul to meet the commitment. There is a grave danger that critical patient care like cancer treatment will lose out," he said.
The British Medical Association said the idea that only the rich could afford IVF treatment had led to a range of ethical problems, such as paying for eggs.
"The NHS should be able to provide the right service for everyone with fertility problems, which might mean anything from assisted conception to emotional support," the association said.
