COUPLES suffering from certain types of fertility problems will receive free treatment on the NHS under new draft guidelines published for the first time yesterday.

The National Institute for Clinical Excellence ( Nice), which has been commissioned by the Department of Health to develop national NHS guidelines on IVF treatment, is publishing the final draft of its recommendations on-line.

The guidelines will now undergo a four week consultation period before the finished version is presented to the Department of Health in February next year.

The draft guidelines, which were leaked to the media earlier this month, recommend that women aged between 23 and 39 should receive free IVF treatment if the cause of infertility has been appropriately diagnosed, or if the cause remains undiagnosed and the couple remain infertile despite three years of trying to conceive.

Women who have been diagnosed with causes ranging from damaged fallopian tubes, endemetriosis, abnormality of the uterus or problematic ovulation would qualify for free treatment.

The treatment will also be available where the male partner has a diagnosed problem, such as a low sperm count.

Women under 23 with a diagnosed cause of infertility should be eligible for treatment without having to try for a baby for three years, the guide-lines say.

Nice is inviting members of the public to contribute their views on the draft guidelines, which are available at http://www.nice.org.uk, via the website.

Professor Alison Murdoch, chair of the British Fertility Society, said: "We are delighted there is now recognition that the trauma suffered by couples unable to conceive is a legitimate call on NHS resources.

"Hopefully, the guidelines will now see an end to postcode prescribing caused by facilities which are wide ranging across the country."

Prof Murdoch said that access to treatment can range from no provision to limited provision and even depend on which side of the road you live.

Sheena Young of Child, the national infertility support network, hoped the guidelines would lead to a more "fair and equitable" service for infertility sufferers.

She said: "We want a situation where patients are seen and investigated promptly, given an accurate diagnosis, followed by appropriate treatment.

"We hope the guidelines may facilitate this while bearing in mind that the appropriate treatment is not necessarily always IVF."