Alice Macdonald, Labour MP for Norwich North, said the lack of a legal right to paid time off for fertility treatment means many women have had to hide what they are going through from their employers.

She said some women use all their annual leave for these appointments and have even faced disciplinary action - taking a toll on their physical and mental health.

She called on the government to “right this wrong” as she introduced her 10-minute rule bill in the Commons.

Speaking during National Fertility Awareness Week, Ms Macdonald said: “A single cycle of IVF typically involves five to seven appointments, often at short notice, the timing dictated by hormone levels and follicle development that cannot be predicted.

“Throughout, you’re pumping your body full of hormones and drugs, which can have an extraordinary physical and emotional toll.”

She said........

© Norwich Evening News