I believe there was more IVF done in the NHS under the Conservative government than under this Labour government

Lord Winston

Tim Hedgely, chief executive of the infertility charity Issue, said access to IVF depended greatly on where the patient lived: "It's generally not that accessible, it's very hard to get it on the NHS.

"There are some pockets in the UK which provide a very good service, and there are some areas which provide a dreadful service."

Labour peer Lord Robert Winston, speaking on BBC Radio 4's "You and Yours" programme, described provision of fertility treatment on the NHS as a "shambles".

He said that the situation was worse now than under the last government.

Mrs Verney told the programme: "I had three attempts at IVF - the first time failed, and I had to borrow money.

"The second attempt failed, and I had to borrow money again - the third time worked but by then I was �17,000 in debt.

Third from bottom

"One of the main sacrifices was that I had to give up my home.

"It's only now I'm piecing my life back together."

A report presented to the recent European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology ranked the UK third from bottom in Europe on the availability of fertility treatment.

In countries such as Sweden and Norway, both ranked far higher, the state pays for up to 50% of treatments, compared to 10% in the UK.

Professor Winston told the programme: "Infertility causes great hardship to families, and causes loss of efficiency at work.

"This is a government with some tremendous values - some of those values are family values, and to be that they must include proper reproductive medicine.

"I believe there was more IVF done in the NHS under the Conservative government than under this Labour government. That's surprising and disappointing.

"It's something that must change, and it will backfire if it doesn't change."

The Department of Health says that it is currently conducting a survey to determine the exact level of IVF provision in different parts of the country.

That will be published shortly.