Abortion groups seek more taxpayer money

Two of the biggest private sector abortion providers in the UK have complained that they aren't receiving enough taxpayer money from the NHS to cover the financial costs of abortion.

The British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) and MSI Reproductive Choices say a tariff setting out how much they can claim back from the NHS for abortion procedures isn't applied.

Under the tariff, a medical abortion between nine and fourteen weeks is estimated to cost £500, once staff and other expenses are taken into account. A surgical abortion up to 14 weeks is estimated to cost £1,078.

But BPAS told i news that, on average, it receives less than 48 per cent of the NHS tariff price back for surgical abortions, and as low as 22 per cent of the costs in one area of England.

Katherine O’Brien, associate director of communications and campaigns at BPAS, said abortion needs to be more widely available and that more funding is needed for private providers.

Dr Jonathan Lord, medical director of MSI Reproductive Choices, also said that private sector abortion providers should be paid more for the abortions they perform.

A spokeswoman for CARE commented:

"Abortion is something that no woman should have to go through and it is deeply saddening to witness the staggering number of abortions that take place in the UK every single year - far more per capita than many other Western nations.

"Instead of paying more money to organisations whose profits depend on there being more and more abortions, decision-makers in our country should explore ways to reduce the abortion rate, and support women to keep their babies.

"A just government confronts the many factors - physical, psychological, financial and otherwise - that lead to tragic abortions and does all that it can to affirm and protect the lives of all human beings. We pray that the UK will become such a society."