Women face barriers and delays in obtaining an abortion caused by the procedure’s legal status, abortion providers say

The Royal College of General Practitioners has called for abortion to be decriminalised in the United Kingdom after a poll of its members found that nearly two thirds supported the move.

Backing from the largest medical royal college, whose members are often women’s first port of call when seeking to terminate a pregnancy, will add significant weight to the campaign to remove abortion from the criminal law.

Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard said care should be non-judgmental PA

Abortion is illegal under a law dating from 1861, but the 1967 Abortion Act created exceptions if a woman could get two doctors to agree that termination was necessary and provided it took place on registered premises.

Anti-abortion campaigners argue that in effect this created “abortion on demand” in most parts of the UK.

The RCGP’s call is