Couples trying for a baby in Scotland using IVF are to be offered three cycles of treatment instead of two on the NHS.

Those couples who already have children, where one partner is not a biological parent, will also be able to have IVF on the NHS for the first time.

Scotland's public health minister Aileen Campbell defended the spending on increased IVF provision, which comes at a time of pressure on accident emergency departments and waiting times.

The NHS in England and Wales only offers two cycles of IVF treatment.

Couples in Scotland will be offered three cycles from April 1 after the move was recommended by the National Infertility Group in a report to ministers last year.

On Friday, Ms Campbell said: "Scotland continues to lead the way in the provision of NHS IVF treatment and I'm really pleased that we're ready to implement the second main recommendation from the National Infertility Group.

"For couples struggling to conceive it can be a very difficult time and IVF can provide an opportunity to help them have that longed-for baby

"We want to make access to treatment on the NHS as fair as possible - giving more people the opportunity to conceive.

"Over the last five years we have invested around £24m to reduce IVF waiting times and improve the outcomes for couples.

"These changes make NHS IVF access in Scotland by far the fairest and most generous in the UK."

Ms Campbell said money had been "put aside" to fund the programme.