NHS to resume abortions in North Staffordshire
NHS abortions are to be offered in North Staffordshire for the first time in almost two decades.
Health trusts are signing a £300,000 contract with a private clinic to offer the service in Newcastle.
It means around 1,200 women every year in North Staffordshire will no longer have to travel to Stockport for the procedure. But opponents fear the change will make it more attractive for more women to end their pregnancies.
In the past, women have been pre-assessed at a private clinic in Wharf Street, Newcastle, before travelling to Stockport. Now, they will be able to have the procedure locally and contact the clinic without seeing their GP.
Experts hope the service will further cut the number of late terminations.
Latest figures show almost three-quarters of abortions were carried out within 10 weeks in the past 12 months, compared to just a quarter in 2004/05.
Sue Scott, NHS Stoke-on-Trent's specialist improvement officer in sexual health, said: "Our women deserve to be given the choice of having the procedure locally, although they can still go elsewhere if they want to.
"We have already significantly increased the proportion of people having the procedure within 10 weeks of the pregnancy starting.
"We feel we can increase the 10-week rate further and that will be helped by having the full service here, including counselling and follow-up support.
"There is a window of only three or four weeks between a woman finding she is pregnant to 10 weeks, so we want to make it as streamlined and quick as possible for her to make a decision."
The new service will see women have counselling and assessment within three days of contacting Wharf Street, undergo the procedure within seven days and receive support within 14 days after that.
A spokesman for the clinic said: "We are delighted to be bringing services closer to women in North Staffordshire."
The Healthcare Commission is expected to licence the Wharf Street clinic for abortions once the University Hospital of North Staffordshire guarantees it will take complicated cases.
But the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children – which has held prayer vigils outside the clinic – is unhappy about the change.
North Staffs branch treasurer Sue Sammons said: "It may be more convenient, but making it easier for abortions is sad for the unborn child."
Related content:
15 Comments
View all
by NJ, Stoke
Thursday, June 04 2009, 9:47AM
“Freedom of choice springs to mind. Everyone has the right to choose. In response to Dawn from Meir women who have been raped would be dealt with by the police as they have their own links for this. Medical reasons would be sorted out at the hospital as the women would be under a consultant if there were medical problems. There should be stricter restrictions with regards to the amount of terminations a woman can have as some do use this as a for of contraception which is not it is a major operation under general anasetic. Or strong medication if pregnancy is under 8 wks or beyond 16 wks. It is a hard decision for some women to make and they have the right to choose to be treated locally.”
by dawn, meir
Wednesday, June 03 2009, 11:27PM
“In certain circumstances, eg, rape victims, life threatening or serious illness to woman or child, abortion is there for them to help, but for people who just can't be bothered to use contraception to be allowed abortion is discraceful, if you know you dont want a baby be extra careful, i know contraception isnt 100% but you ould use, pill and condoms, etc! it seems like an easy option for young girls, if your grown up enough to get pregnant you are grown up enough to look after a child! take responsibility,i was a young teen mum and my kids are just fine, and I wouldn't change em for the world, but before anyone goes mental, i do agree in certain cases!”
by Joe, Stoke
Wednesday, June 03 2009, 9:30PM
“Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and I shall not condemn anyone for having an unwanted baby or some one opting for a termination.. I believe that no woman takes the subject of abortion lightly... yet some comments here condemn women dreadfully... maybe the man who impregnate the woman should be castrated too (comment to 'me, home'). No woman can become pregnant by herself!”
by Adrian, Shropshire
Wednesday, June 03 2009, 5:59PM
“This place should be closed down - it will bring a lack of peace to the community. Mother Teresa said how can we have peace in the world if a mother is prepared to have her baby in the womb killed? The womb should be the one place where peace is offered. A baby in a rape case is just as innocent as the mother. The guilty party is the rapist not the child. Adoption is an option for this tragic case.”
by anon, stoke
Wednesday, June 03 2009, 4:21PM
“nicky perhaps the parents do not want another child and it would bring great emotional harm or even physical harm to have another.then abortion is a must no baby should be born into an unsuitable enviroment its worse for the baby and they have no choice in that either.i know id rather have a baby terminated than have it brought up and born to drug addicts etc.i think that is just cruel.”