Response to the government consultation on abortion telemedicine #keeptelemedicine

The COVID-19 pandemic restricted abortion access and, in response, the UK government temporarily approved medication abortion [use of mifepristone and misoprostol to induce an abortion] at home after telephone or online consultation with a clinician. Pre-pandemic, womxn were required to attend a clinic in person to access an abortion. They would take mifepristone at the clinic, before travelling home/lodgings to take the rest of the medication.

The temporary approval of abortion telemedicine has meant that womxn are able to access abortions in earlier gestations, experienced shorter wait times, and were able to arrange the abortion to their convenience- accounting for childcare, employment, or other considerations in their everyday lives. BPAS’ data on their ‘pills by post’ service from Sept 2020 shows that 80% of clients who expressed a preference would opt for having a telephone consultation and Pills by Post again if they needed another abortion in the future. Providers also report being able to better manage clinics due to telemedicine, include enabling in-clinic services for those who need/want them.

I collaborated with a group of abortion research experts (Heini Väisänen, Katy Footman, Joe Strong, Rachel Scott, Tiziana Leone and Ernestina Coast) to produce a template to help with responses. The template is here and builds on BPAS’ response to the consultation.

As Abortion Book Club, I co-organised (with Joe Strong) a series of successful collective write-ins for the government consultation. I’ll share our methodology & tools for the write-in shortly- allow others to utilise it for other government consultations & responses.

Drawing on our template and Doctors for Choice’s template, I submitted my individual responses to the government consultation. My responses are available here.