Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the 27 December 2018 approval of the home of a pregnant woman in England who is undergoing treatment for termination of pregnancy as a class of place where the second stage of treatment for early medical abortion may be carried out, how many maternal deaths occurred under the 27 December 2018 approval as a result of the second abortion pill taken at home in (a) 2018, (b) 2019 and (c) 2020 to date.

It is not possible to identify the type of abortion performed from the mortality statistics. Mortality statistics published by the Office of National Statistics, show that for there was one death in 2018 where abortion was listed as the underlying cause of death on the death certificate. There were no deaths recorded in 2019. Data for 2020 is not available.

The Department is aware of reports of two women who died after seeking abortion treatment earlier this year. Both deaths have been appropriately investigated and in one case investigations are continuing. For the other case, the coroner concluded that there was no evidence to suggest the pregnancy or abortion contributed to the death either directly or indirectly. Both women attended an abortion service in person and based on information provided to the Department, at least one of these women was supplied with pills to take at home under the 2018 approval.