Last night’s abortion vote risks failing vulnerable women

Abortion is a divisive and complicated subject, as the reaction to last night’s vote on decriminalising the procedure in England and Wales has already proved. 

But before, during, and after the debate, my main concern has been that safeguarding is paramount, and we have a responsibility to ensure women who access abortion services are kept safe.  

That’s something I hope every MP will agree with, whatever their personal convictions.

There were a number of amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill voted on last night, with Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi proving successful. 

I opposed that amendment, because I felt it took away the opportunity for a woman to have a confidential discussion with a clinician so they could get the best treatment – and make sure that a telemedicine system of abortion provision wasn’t being abused. 

My own amendment was different, and would have reinstated in-person consultations for women who wish to have an abortion – ending the ‘pills by post system’. 

This amendment was voted down in the Commons yesterday, but I believe there is still a strong case for in-person consultations – and I’ll continue to make it. 

My amendment was neither pro-life nor pro-choice. It was pro-safety. 

Face-to-face appointments were mandatory until the pandemic, when the pills-by-post scheme – which allows women to obtain abortion pills via telemedicine for unwanted pregnancies up to 10 weeks and then take them at home – was introduced as a temporary measure.  

However, an amendment tabled to the Health and Care Bill in March 2022 made the scheme permanent. 

I had considerable reservations about this at the time, and sadly my concerns have been borne out in the years since. 

Without an in-person discussion between patient and doctor, there is no guarantee that abortion pills won’t fall into the wrong hands. 

Six months ago, Stuart Worby was jailed after persuading a friend’s girlfriend to phone up an abortion provider, pretend to be pregnant, and obtain pills which Worby then used to induce a woman to have an abortion against her will or knowledge, after spiking a glass of orange juice. 

A requirement for an in-person appointment would have prevented this tragic incident from occurring. 

There have also been rare, but high-profile cases of women misleading abortion providers about how far along they are and accessing abortion pills through the pills-by-post scheme. 

But there are also many women who are simply unaware of how far into pregnancy they are. 

In the early stages of gestation, some women bleed and mistakenly think they are on their period, thereby underestimating the true length of their pregnancy. 

In the absence of in-person appointments, such situations are much harder to detect. These checks are essential for safeguarding: After 10 weeks, the law prohibits at-home use of abortion pills due to the increasing medical risks.  

Several cases were raised in the debate yesterday by my fellow MPs – harrowing instances where women took abortion medication and were admitted to hospital, traumatised and bleeding as a result of miscalculating their gestational age.

A government review in November 2023 found that the complication rate for abortions after 20 weeks in clinical settings is over 160 times higher than for those under 10 weeks. 

That’s why I tabled my amendment, to protect women and to avoid these risks. 

Restoring the requirement for in-person appointments would make it far easier for clinicians to assess the possibility of coercion or abuse, as well as more accurately assess a woman’s gestational age and any health concerns.  

Safeguarding ought never to be sacrificed for the sake of convenience or ideology. There is always a duty of care towards all patients. 

My proposal would not have prevented women from being able to take abortion pills at home; it simply sought to ensure an in-person appointment first – for the safety of the women themselves. 

I still believe there is a case for returning to what was standard practice – for good reason – before the pandemic.  

I am grateful to the 117 colleagues who voted for my amendment. While the vote did not go our way, I hope the conversation about protecting women in this area will continue, and that in-person consultations will eventually be reinstated. 

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing Ross.Mccafferty@metro.co.uk. 

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