Some women in Wales could be forced into continuing unwanted pregnancies because of inadequate surgical abortion care, according to a senior obstetrician. Dr Ed Dorman said he treated women from Wales every other week at a British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) clinic in London but is worried about the "unknown number" who he said had little choice but to continue their pregnancies. BBC Wales has been told women from Wales face the added "trauma" of travelling to England for care after 18 weeks of pregnancy.
The Welsh government said it was working with NHS Wales to identify and address the barriers to providing surgical abortion services locally. In Wales, England and Scotland abortion is allowed up to 24 weeks of pregnancy with the approval of two doctors. About 90% of women who choose to end a pregnancy have a medical abortion which involves taking tablets at home.
After 10 weeks of pregnancy a medical abortion can be done at a clinic or hospital, or women can have a short medical procedure, known as a surgical abortion. Dr Jane Dickson, who represents the British Society of Abortion Care Providers (BSACP) in Wales, said surgical abortions could be faster and offer women quicker recovery times - but were rarely available in Wales, forcing women to travel over the border into England for care. She added that conscientious objection in Wales – where staff can refuse to take part in care on moral or religious grounds – was "widespread" and making a "bad situation" with provision worse.
Dorman, a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist who treats women from Wales at his London clinic, said he was worried about the "unknown number" of women forced to continue their pregnancies because they couldn't travel to England. "It's a traumatic experience for anybody," Dorman said. "And to add the trauma of having to travel, arrange overnight accommodation in a hotel or somewhere in London, spending two days away from home and your local support network is really hard for some women.
"What worries me the most is I only see the women who manage to make it. "There may be a significant number of women who never manage to do the journey - and are forced to continue an unplanned pregnancy in really difficult circumstances." BPAS has previously said about 175 women from Wales travel to England for surgical abortion care a year. The charity, which provides some abortion care on behalf of the NHS, currently sees women from north and mid Wales at its Chester, Birmingham and Merseyside sites.
Women between 14 and 18 weeks pregnant had previously been able to get surgical abortions at its Cardiff clinic. But that site has now closed to move to a new location so women beyond 18 weeks must travel to England for a surgical abortion. Dickson said conscientious objection was also delaying and obstructing access to abortion care in NHS settings in Wales.
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