Women across England are currently facing inconsistencies in their access to abortion depending on where they live as certain hospitals require unnecessary GP referrals. Now, the NHS has been told that they must provide consistent abortion services across the board.
The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which is the official advisory body to the NHS, released their first draft proposal on abortion guidance today, stating that all services should accept self-referrals rather than expecting a woman to see a GP first.
‘These guidelines will help to address significant barriers that women experience across the country, by reducing waiting times and making it easier for them to access services,’ said professor Lesley Regan, president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) whom helped develop the guidelines, ‘It’s also absolutely vital that more healthcare professionals are trained in this key area of women’s healthcare to ensure services are sustainable in the long-term.’
Currently, women in England face severe delays when accessing abortion, with a 2017 investigation by The Debrief reporting that more than 75% of abortion service providers had longer waiting times from 2013 to 2016 despite the demand for abortion staying the same. According to the NICE guidelines, women should be offered a consultation within one week of seeking an abortion and an appointment to terminate one week after that.
While these rules have been in place for years, the differing referral systems across England have contributed to the longer waiting timesthat certain women are subject to depending on where they live. According to The Debrief’s investigation, the biggest jump in waiting times from 2015-16 was in Telford, Wrekin, Shropshire and Hull.
The guidelines do not change the requirement for two doctors to agree on termination before going ahead, but this can be done by the clinic’s own doctors and does not need a separate GP’s approval. ‘Integrating and streamlining services should help improve access for all women, leading to shorter waiting times and allowing earlier terminations,’ said Paul Chrisp, director of the centre for guidelines at NICE, ‘this provides multiple benefits to the woman, including being able to have a medical termination at home.’
Reflecting the news last year that women should be able to have the second abortion pill – that induces miscarriage- at home to avoid miscarrying in public, the guidelines also report that women should be given a choice of either medical or surgical procedures to end a pregnancy- and if a service cannot offer the option they want they should be referred to a service that can.
‘We wholeheartedly support these new NICE guidelines, which will help to improve services and address some of the barriers women face accessing abortion care,’ said Imogen Stephens, medical director at Marie Stopes, an abortion provider in the UK whom offers the services outlined by NICE, ‘Today, there are relatively few doctors who can provide surgical abortion in the second trimester yet the women who need these services are often some of the more vulnerable.’
The NICE proposals will be out for consultation until the end of May, but prove hopeful for the countless women that have had to wait weeks beyond the two-week rule for abortion.
If you're seeking an abortion or want to talk to someone about it, Marie Stopes and bpas both have abortion helplines. Call Marie Stopes on 0345 300 8090 (24/7) or bpas on 03457 30 40 30 for advice and information.
For more information on abortion visit NHS, bpas, Marie Stopes, FPA, RCOG, or Abortion Rights.