| Abortion Rights supports extending the role of nurses in early abortion procedures |
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Press release – 27 March 2007
Abortion Rights welcomes calls from practitioners in the Journal of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care to extend the role of nurses to allow them to perform early abortions. Under the 1967 Abortion Act, which governs abortion access in Britain, women need to seek the approval of two doctors before they can access the procedure. Furthermore, the law is interpreted to mean that the procedure must be carried out by a doctor and be performed in a government approved hospital or clinic. These restrictions can lead to women being obstructed by anti-choice GPs or facing unacceptable delays in service provision.
Anne Quesney, Director of Abortion Rights said: As we celebrate 40 years of safe, legal abortion, the time has come to take a fresh look at current legislation and allowing nurses to perform early abortions would be a positive step in that direction.’ [Ends] For more information, or to arrange an interview, please contact Anne Quesney, Director on 020 7923 9792
NOTES TO EDITORS
• Abortion Rights is campaigning to: • The Abortion Act requires that two doctors must agree that the risk to a woman’s physical or mental health, or the risk to her children’s physical or mental health will be greater, if she continues with the pregnancy than if she ends it. This applies up until 24 weeks’ gestation. This Act does not apply in Northern Ireland. • Having an abortion poses fewer medical risks than going through pregnancy and birth, for most women. See the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists’ (RCOG) website for more details. • A recent opinion poll conducted by GFK/NOP and commissioned by Abortion Rights and the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust on 4 March 2007 revealed the following:
‘Do you think that women should or should not have the right to choose and abortion in the first three months of pregnancy?’
77 per cent agree
‘Do you think it is acceptable or unacceptable that a woman who has been referred for an abortion should have to wait beyond three weeks for the procedure?’
72 per cent said it was not acceptable In addition, only three per cent stated that ‘under no circumstances would it be acceptable to have an abortion’. |





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