Ban on home abortions increases risks to women, Government told

Banning home abortions could increase risks to women and waste NHS resources, leading doctors have warned.

The “pills by post” system is set to be dismantled in England by September, having been introduced as a temporary measure at the start of the pandemic.

However, the plans, disclosed by The Telegraph last month, have sparked outrage from medical organisations and women’s groups.

The decision by ministers to return to pre-pandemic abortion systems in England has sparked fierce debate and could be subject to a vote in Parliament on Wednesday.

Writing for The Telegraph, the leaders of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, the British Medical Association and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists have urged ministers to reconsider their intentions.

They said that the current system has meant terminations take place earlier in the pregnancy, reducing the risk of complications, and that the most vulnerable women, including domestic abuse victims, are able to get help.

Baroness Sugg of Coldharbour, a former operations chief to David Cameron, said that the UK should “stand strongly against the rollback of women’s rights”. She has also tabled an amendment to the Health and Care Bill seeking to maintain the current system in England.

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Source: The Telegraph, 15 March 2022