Complications from Abortions (Annual Report) Bill [HL]

Lord Sandhurst Excerpts

2nd reading
Friday 13th December 2024 Lords Chamber

[Lord Sandhurst (Con)]

My Lords, this Bill performs an important service. It highlights the absence of accurate, comprehensive statistics in respect of abortions. My noble friend Lord Moylan is to be congratulated on his clear exposition of the complex issues involved. I am also grateful to the Library and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists for their briefings.

The Department of Health has highlighted that the statistics on complications from abortion should be treated with caution, particularly following changes to the way that medical abortions are permitted to be carried out. It has explained that it is not possible fully to verify complications recorded on the relevant HSA4 forms. Complications that occur after discharge may not always be recorded.

My noble friends Lord Frost and Lady Lawlor have highlighted the importance of good data. In April 2021, the Government acknowledged limitations with the data provided on the HSA4 forms. The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities then undertook a project to review the system of recording abortion data to address the limitations of the data on complications recorded on the HSA4 forms.

OHID acknowledged limitations with data collected through the HSA4 form on the abortion notification system, otherwise known as ANS. Abortion complications are recorded differently in hospital episode statistics—HES—compared to the ANS. Each data source has different strengths and limitations, according to the experts. Neither data set would, however, include complications diagnosed by a GP, the 111 service or an A&E department. The OHID publication did not make any recommendation as to whether HES data should be used to supplement ANS data in the future, and they are the experts.

The royal college argues that lack of effective data collection has held women’s reproductive healthcare back in its ability to innovate and improve, and that that is to the detriment of patient care and experience. The royal college submits that data collection must be improved within women’s healthcare and that abortion should be treated and regulated like any other medical procedure. None the less, as it points out—and as I understand—in no other area of healthcare, outside of abortion, does primary legislation impose a duty on the Secretary of State to produce an annual report of complications data.

We on this side of the House fully recognise the power and benefits of transparency of data to the public and within the Government, and my noble friend has highlighted these powerfully. However, we are not fully convinced that primary legislation is the best practical, or most appropriate and proportionate way forward, to achieve the transparency he seeks. My noble friend Lady Sugg also made the same point and pointed to the sensitivity of patient confidentiality in this field. I have highlighted the challenges of collecting data consistently and robustly in this field. Some of those appear to have emerged from the 2017-21 data that was published. While we appreciate what my noble friend seeks to achieve, I hope the Minister will be able to set out how the Government propose to deliver the greater transparency of data that my noble friend seeks through the Bill.

In summary, our view is that improved data collection and reporting does not need to be delivered through legislation, but we urge the Government to do more to rationalise data recording and collection so that proper evidence-based medicine can be implemented. The Government must take steps to ensure data are gathered on a more reliable and consistent basis; the same should apply in this field as across all health aspects in this country. Those responsible for the health of women must do much better; the department must get a grip and give a lead.