From CFNews: Fast track abortion at your local surgery Women will be able to have abortions at GP surgeries across the country as early as this spring, it has emerged. The procedure, known as early medical abortion, involves two trips to a clinic, hours or a day apart, to take pills which induce a miscarriage.
Freedom of Information requests by GP magazine found that at least six units are due to open in the next few months offering early medical abortions at GP surgeries.
Hampshire Primary Care Trust has applied to open an abortion service at a GP surgery in Basingstoke in the spring.
The service would be run by the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, a Government-funded abortion provider which carries out almost 13,000 early abortions a year.
At present, the law states that the pills can only be administered at licensed sites, such as hospitals, approved NHS providers and private clinics.
Ministers have had the power to allow terminations outside hospitals or clinics since 1967, when abortion was legalised, but they have never done so.
Last year, however, the Government conducted a pilot study which found that women could safely receive early medical abortions from nurses in 'community settings' - such as GP surgeries and family planning clinics.
Ministers then said they would consider applications from surgeries. The first, also run by BPAS, opened quietly in Wolverhampton last year.
Another is set to open in Newcastle upon Tyne in the next few months. These are technically private clinics based at GP sites.
GP magazine found that more are due to open this year. Hounslow PCT in West London said it was looking at providing medical terminations at the Heart of Hounslow clinic. Sandwell PCT in the West Midlands also plans to apply for 'a primary care-based medical termination service' based in a polyclinic. Other PCTs that have expressed an interest are Kirklees in West Yorkshire, Islington in North London and Somerset.
A spokesman for antiabortion group Alive and Kicking said: 'This is an extraordinary response to what should be seen as a huge problem - that we have the highest rates of abortion in Western Europe.
'This is going to make it easier for women to have an abortion without counselling. More and more women will have abortions in haste, wake up and then regret it.'
Conservative MP Nadine Dorries said: 'The Government is doing everything in its power to facilitate more abortions. It is a dereliction of the Government's duty of care.'
A Department of Health spokesman said: 'Providing early medical abortions in a community setting is about increasing the choice of method and locations for abortions, and improving early access to abortions, as evidence shows that earlier abortions carry less risk of complications. 'It is not about increasing the number of abortions.' So, the government says early abortion is 'less risky' (presumably for the mother). [Daily Mail, SPUC]
Freedom of Information requests by GP magazine found that at least six units are due to open in the next few months offering early medical abortions at GP surgeries.
Hampshire Primary Care Trust has applied to open an abortion service at a GP surgery in Basingstoke in the spring.
The service would be run by the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, a Government-funded abortion provider which carries out almost 13,000 early abortions a year.
At present, the law states that the pills can only be administered at licensed sites, such as hospitals, approved NHS providers and private clinics.
Ministers have had the power to allow terminations outside hospitals or clinics since 1967, when abortion was legalised, but they have never done so.
Last year, however, the Government conducted a pilot study which found that women could safely receive early medical abortions from nurses in 'community settings' - such as GP surgeries and family planning clinics.
Ministers then said they would consider applications from surgeries. The first, also run by BPAS, opened quietly in Wolverhampton last year.
Another is set to open in Newcastle upon Tyne in the next few months. These are technically private clinics based at GP sites.
GP magazine found that more are due to open this year. Hounslow PCT in West London said it was looking at providing medical terminations at the Heart of Hounslow clinic. Sandwell PCT in the West Midlands also plans to apply for 'a primary care-based medical termination service' based in a polyclinic. Other PCTs that have expressed an interest are Kirklees in West Yorkshire, Islington in North London and Somerset.
A spokesman for antiabortion group Alive and Kicking said: 'This is an extraordinary response to what should be seen as a huge problem - that we have the highest rates of abortion in Western Europe.
'This is going to make it easier for women to have an abortion without counselling. More and more women will have abortions in haste, wake up and then regret it.'
Conservative MP Nadine Dorries said: 'The Government is doing everything in its power to facilitate more abortions. It is a dereliction of the Government's duty of care.'
A Department of Health spokesman said: 'Providing early medical abortions in a community setting is about increasing the choice of method and locations for abortions, and improving early access to abortions, as evidence shows that earlier abortions carry less risk of complications. 'It is not about increasing the number of abortions.' So, the government says early abortion is 'less risky' (presumably for the mother). [Daily Mail, SPUC]
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