It seems so, according one Dorset couple. They told reporters that ever since they first went for treatment in 2007, they have been thwarted, with the local centre telling them that a change in policy now limits the number of IVF treatments they can have.

In the case of the Dorset couple, they were originally promised a minimum of 2 courses of IVF, but the change in the hospital’s policy now only allows one treatment.

Natalie said: “It’s incredibly unfair that couples who have been in the system for a long time waiting for their IVF to start are being let down.

“I understand that funding is an issue and tough decisions have to be made, but they should not be applied to couples who are already on the waiting list.”

Natalie’s husband Stuart added: “We feel we have been messed around by the NHS for a long time and now we’re devastated to learn that our chances of conceiving via IVF have effectively been halved.

“We desperately want a child, we’ve been told our chances of having a baby through IVF are high and we’ve endured a slow medical system only to be let down when we reach the final hurdle.

“We’ve never been told this in writing – we found out after ringing the hospital about an appointment.”

The change in policy by the local NHS in Dorset means that couples wanting IVF must be referred before they are 35, with the treatment finishing by the time they reach 37.

A spokesman for the NHS in Dorset said: “The fertility and assisted conception policy was updated following a robust public consultation process. We recognise that the updated policy will affect some couples and have implemented transition arrangements to help with this depending on their individual circumstances. “