Now, however, the government has announced that, from April 2005, all infertile couples will be entitled to one free cycle of IVF on the NHS, provided that the woman is under 40 years old and that the couple meet local eligibility criteria. Priority will be given to couples who don't yet have any children. This doesn't go as far as guidelines published by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) — these recommend that infertile couples should be offered three cycles of IVF on the NHS — but Health Secretary John Reid has said he wants the NHS to work towards implementing the guidelines in full.

Currently most women experiencing fertility problems are able, where appropriate, to get fertility drugs on the NHS and this should continue. However, whether or not you are eligible for other forms of fertility treatment, such as ICSI, will still depend to some extent on what your local Primary Care Trust offers.

It's also important to remember that most Primary Care Trusts currently have criteria determining who they will fund for treatment, which will continue. You may find that that in order to be eligible for a free cycle of IVF, for example, you will need to have lived in the district for a certain number of years. There are also long waiting lists for fertility treatment in many areas; these may become worse as IVF becomes more widely available on the NHS.

In the meantime, if you are considering fertility treatment, you will probably need to use a mix of both NHS and private treatment as before. Your may find that your GP is willing to provide the drugs needed for IVF, for example, but that you have to pay a private clinic to carry out the actual procedure.

To be treated at a private clinic, you have to meet the clinic's eligibility criteria (a clinic may not treat you if you are over 45, for example). Costs vary widely, often by several thousand pounds. Always ask in advance what the full cost of each treatment cycle is likely to be. Don't forget the hidden costs too, of taking time off work and travel expenses — you may need to make many journeys to the clinic.