The first batch of patients to go through IVF under the terms of the new legislative regime will start their treatments on Thursday.

The information was given by Health Minister Chris Fearne, responding to a parliamentary question by MP Silvio Grixti.

The new law came into effect last June, after considerable controversy. Government MPs voted for the Bill but the Opposition – who were given a free vote – were all against it. It only got to that stage after a Constitutional application, protests by pro-life groups, and even a last-minute attempt by 500 doctors who were against the freezing on multiple embryos.

Even after Parliament approved the Bill, President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca made it clear that she was only signing it into law out of "out of loyalty" to the Constitution.

The amendments made to the law enable same-sex couples and single parents to access IVF treatment, but plans to introduce altruistic surrogacy were dropped.

Dr Fearne said that once the law had been enacted, a protocol had been drawn up by the Embryo Protection Authority, which was presented to the parliamentary health committee, which had in turn approved it unanimously.