Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that women are appropriately transferred from abortion clinics to hospitals at the earliest point in the case of emergencies.

In May 2014, the Department published updated requirements (Procedures for the Approval of Independent Sector Places for the Termination of Pregnancy (Abortion)) which the providers of independent sector abortion services must agree to comply with to be approved by the Secretary of State to perform abortions. This includes the requirement to have in place procedures and protocols to deal with emergencies and the transfer to specialist services. A copy of the guidance is attached.