A woman from Cardiff has shared how difficult it was for her to travel to England for a surgical abortion, which she says increased her trauma. Katie, 35, was pregnant with her first child when a routine scan revealed a significant abnormality, which meant the baby could not survive. Had she had the abortion locally, she would have been required to give birth in a labour ward surrounded by mothers and newborns. Instead, she had to travel to Bournemouth to receive the procedure. In Wales, health boards refer women requiring surgical abortions after 18 weeks to clinics in England.
According to Viv Rose, who has run the BPAS clinic in Cardiff for nearly two decades, it is “horrendous” to tell Welsh women they need to travel to England for treatment after the 18-week referral mark. She added that approximately 100 women from South Wales are referred to clinics in England every year. Elsewhere in the UK, abortion is legal up to 24 weeks of pregnancy with the approval of two doctors.
The Women’s Equality Party in Wales has called on the health secretary to prioritize abortion care and ensure it is offered on the NHS in Wales. Meanwhile, Dr. Caroline Scherf, an NHS gynecologist, says second-trimester abortions are one of several areas in which women’s healthcare is falling behind. “It is not a lot of women, but those women really need help, and it is not right they can’t access treatment in Wales,” she said.
The Welsh government has said providers are expected to ensure access to “evidence-based support for reproductive choices, including abortion”. The National Clinical Lead for Women’s Health has also been appointed to develop the NHS Wales Women’s Health Plan
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