Health chiefs accused over lack of abortion care
HEALTH bosses have been accused of failing more than a third of a million people amid claims an abortion service has been stopped.
Amnesty International said a failure by the Health Minister to commission services and provide funding has forced the South Eastern Trust to cease the provision of vital abortion care.
The organisation has said women still have a legal entitlement to the early medical abortion service, but they will have to travel to other trust areas to access it.
Patrick Corrigan, Amnesty International Northern Ireland Director, said Robin Swann has created a postcode lottery for healthcare, forcing women to travel in the midst of a pandemic.
“Despite abortion regulations taking effect from March 2020, the Department of Health’s failure to commission services means that health trusts have been left to absorb the costs and resource abortion care themselves, whilst battling through a pandemic,” he said.
“Amnesty has re peatedly called on the Department to commission services to ensure they are sustainable and accessible but to date the Department has failed.
“The fact that the South Eastern Trust has had to stop this service is a direct consequence of Minister Robin Swann’s disastrous failure to commission and fund these health services. postcode by midst ernment “The “At forcing of the Minister a is lottery women pandemic. very telling time for has to people travel healthcare when created not in gov- the to a travel, scandal. this is nothing less than a must “Abortion not be refused is legal this and service. women “The Health Minister must urgently commission these services and ensure all of health trusts have the necessary resources to care for those who need this healthcare. If Robin Swann con-ti nu es to refuse to act, then sec retary of State Brandon Lewis must intervene.” Abortion regulations took effect in March 2020. Since then, health trusts have provided an interim early medical abortion service services to are ensure commissioned. access whilst This service has been facilitated through Informing Choices NI, which acts as the Central Access Point. The South Eastern Trust and Department of Health was contacted for comment. In October last year, it was reported that women in Northern Ireland had been forced to turn to backstreet abortions and some had attempted suicide over the lack of services available for pregnancy terminations. making the accusation, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists criticised Mr Swann for failing to commission abortion services despite the Government’s legal obligation to do so.