Will the Minister explain how it is possible to verify by phone or video whether a woman is undergoing any kind of duress to have an abortion?
Clinicians delivering Early Medical Abortion (EMA) at home provision follow the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines, which are produced using the latest available evidence, good practice and expert advice.
Safeguarding is an essential part of the assessment for abortion care, and providers should follow their processes and assess each case on an individual basis. Clinical guidelines advise that there is no automatic need to do this in person if adequate assessment is possible via remote consultation and clinicians should use judgement to determine whether remote consultation is suitable.
Clinicians have identified no difficulty in assessing duress during video or telephone conversations. Remote consultation may enable vulnerable women, for example, those with a coercive partner, to access care more discreetly, especially during the pandemic and while alert level four restrictions are in place.
Clinicians providing Early Medical Abortion at home have provided assurance they have no concern about missing such cases when using telemedicine. The telemedicine process provides women with a reliable confidential point of care and follow-up appointments have confirmed women are comfortable accessing the service.