Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the ability of a medical professional to establish the gestation period of a child accurately via a telephone consultation before prescribing the at-home administration of mifepristone and misoprostol for an abortion.

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has issued clinical guidelines for healthcare professionals on Coronavirus infection and abortion care. The guidance sets out the circumstances where women should be asked to attend a clinic for an ultra-sound scan. However, it states that “most women can determine the gestational age of their pregnancy with reasonable accuracy by last menstrual period (LMP) alone”. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommends in their guidance Abortion Care that services should consider providing abortion assessments by phone or video call, as evidence shows that community services and telemedicine appointments improve access to abortion services. A copy of this guidance is attached.