Alliance for Choice are relieved for those women and pregnant people requiring abortion healthcare in the South Eastern Health Trust (SET) that early medical abortion has been made available again by the Health Trust.

#careathome

What remains worrying is the fact that the Health Minister, @RobinSwannMoH and the @healthdpt have failed to commission the lawful commissioned abortion services they have been duty bound to commission since April 2020.

Even with the reinstatement of early medical abortion services in SET, too many women and pregnant people from across all areas will still be forced to travel because of lack of access to telemedicine and abortion services other than early medical abortion.

Everyone who needs abortion access should receive it, but alarmingly those who have complex needs, may be vulnerable and those with barriers to access already will be affected by this.

These are some of the reasons why many, (even those who were in favour of abortion only on particular grounds)argued for the necessity of provision. Worryingly those seeking abortion for more complex reasons are the very people least likely to receive abortion healthcare at home.

The Secretary of State must act now to ensure that services are commissioned and no longer ‘monitor’ a situation which is already a denial of necessary healthcare.
@BrandonLewis @NIOgov

The restoration of services in SET is welcome, but the precariousness of abortion services in NI overall is wholly unacceptable to those seeking adequate care and those providers who are doing their best to provide it.
#careathome #freesafelegallocal #telemedicinenow4ni