Women in England are to be allowed to take the second abortion pill at home, giving them the same rights as their counterparts in Scotland and Wales.

The UK government announced on Saturday that it would legalise the home use of early medical abortion drugs by the end of the year. It comes after pressure from campaigners for England to follow in the footsteps of Scotland, which last year became the first part of the UK to introduce the option, and Wales, which announced its own plans in June.

Women currently have to take both pills - mifepristone and misoprostol - at a clinic, 24 to 48 hours apart, to terminate an early pregnancy (before 10 weeks’ gestation).

They leave the clinic after taking the misoprostol and pass the pregnancy at home but the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) says the process can cause unnecessary stress and trauma, leading women to begin to miscarry before they have even reached their front door in some cases.

Under the new legislation they will be able to terminate an early pregnancy in safe and familiar surroundings.

Prof Lesley Regan, president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said: “Today’s announcement that use of misoprostol at home will be allowed in England is hugely welcomed and a major step forward for women’s healthcare.

“This simple and practical measure will provide women with significantly more choice and is the most compassionate care we can give them.

“It will allow women to avoid distress and embarrassment of bleeding and pain during their journey home from an unnecessary second visit to a clinic or hospital. It will also improve access to safe and regulated abortion care and take pressure off NHS services.”

Four in five terminations in England are early medical abortions, carried out under 10 weeks’ gestation, according to the DHSC.

It said it would work with the likes of RCOG to develop clinical guidance professionals will be expected to follow when offering the home option.

Richard Bentley, managing director at Marie Stopes UK, said: “This decision by the Department of Health will enable tens of thousands of women each year to complete their treatment in the comfort and privacy of their own home. There is no clinical reason why this shouldn’t happen ...

“At a time when other countries around the world are trying to restrict access to safe abortion, it’s heartening to see the UK send such a clear message of support for every woman’s right to end a pregnancy not just safely but with dignity.”

The announcement comes after the Scottish government’s decision to allow women to take the abortion pill in their own homes was upheld following a legal challenge by the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) Scotland.



John Deighan, SPUC deputy chief executive, said the organisation would continue to pursue legal action, arguing that the process ran counter to the Abortion Act.

“The determination of the abortion industry to push women to undergo this in their own home with no real medical supervision illustrates their cavalier attitude when it comes to the wellbeing of women,” he said. “It further trivialises abortion, making women increasingly open to coercion, to make a choice that suits others.”

The DHSC stressed that women seeking an early medical abortion would still be given the usual checks and would still have the option of undergoing the abortion in a clinic if they wish.



The chief medical officer, Prof Dame Sally Davies, said: “This decision will increase choice for women and help ensure they receive safe and dignified care.”