Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that abortion providers meet their obligations to ensure that a woman’s gestational age is accurately assessed before she may be prescribed abortion pills to be taken at home.

In accordance with the Abortion Act 1967, home use of early medical abortion pills is only permitted if the pregnancy has not exceeded 10 weeks gestation, at the time the first medicine in the course is administered. Before prescribing abortion medicine for use at home, the doctor terminating the pregnancy must be of the opinion, formed in good faith, that the pregnancy is not beyond 10 weeks. This opinion is formed following a consultation with the woman concerned.

If there is any uncertainty about the gestation of the pregnancy, the woman should attend an in-person appointment. If she does not attend in-person when there is any uncertainty about the gestation, the doctor leading the termination would not be able to form an opinion in good faith that the pregnancy is below 10 weeks gestation, and therefore would not be able to prescribe abortion pills for home use.