Health Secretary opposed to 'pills by post' abortion scheme extension

UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid is opposed to extending a controversial abortion scheme in England and Wales, The Telegraph reports.

Junior health minister Maggie Throup and several Tory backbenchers are also understood to have concerns.

Since March 2020, women have been able to access abortion pills after a telemedicine consultation, receiving them through the post.

Before the pandemic, they were required to take the first dose of pills under medical supervision, so that complications can be spotted.

Abortion campaigners and certain health bodies of are calling for the pills by post scheme to be extended indefinitely.

But other groups and pro-life activists warn women are being seriously harmed under the new framework.

An investigation at the end of last year established that thousands of emergency hospital admissions occurred after rules were relaxed.

CARE is urging the UK Government and other governments in the UK not to extend the home abortion rules:

Last month, a spokesperson for CARE commented:

“Under the new framework, there is the heightened danger of women being forced into having an abortion by a coercive partner. It is hard to establish meaningful and informed consent for medical abortion to take place, given the lack of in-person consultation. There is also the very obvious risk of dangerous medical complications occurring outside a medical setting.

“To prevent these harmful outcomes, we should insist upon the highest possible standards of safety. The safeguards that existed for access before the pandemic were there for a reason. The new framework is simply incompatible with the level of care that should be expected under normal circumstances."