Decision

Temporary approval of home use for both stages of early medical abortion

Temporary approval of women’s homes and the homes of registered medical practitioners as classes of place for early medical abortion up to 10 weeks.

• From: Department of Health and Social Care and The Rt Hon Matt Hancock
• Published: 30 March 2020

This was published under the 2019 to 2022 Johnson Conservative government

This publication was withdrawn on 16 May 2023

This content has been withdrawn because it is out of date.

The 1967 Abortion Act was amended from 30 August 2022 to allow eligible women in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy (9 weeks and 6 days) to continue to take both medicines for early medical abortion at home.

See further information about abortion on the NHS website.

Documents

[Withdrawn] Temporary approval of home use for both stages of early medical abortion

PDF, 139 KB, 3 pages

Details

The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has approved 2 temporary measures in England to limit the transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19) and ensure continued access to early medical abortion services:

• women and girls will be able to take both pills for early medical abortion up to 10 weeks in their own homes, without the need to first attend a hospital or clinic
• registered medical practitioners (doctors) will be able to prescribe both pills for the treatment of early medical abortion up to 10 weeks from their own homes

This must be carried out in line with the criteria set out in the attached document.

This approval supersedes the approval of 27 December 2018.

This is a temporary approval in light of coronavirus (COVID-19).

Published 30 March 2020