Hundreds of pregnant Scots forced to travel to England for later-term abortions as cases rise
22.07.2023 - 15:19
/ dailyrecord.co.uk
The number of women being forced to travel to England from Scotland to receive later abortion care has increased by 55 per cent in the past year, new figures show. In 2021, the number of people travelling to England for care was 42 but this increased to 65, according to the British Pregnancy Advice Service (BPAS).
A total of 282 women have travelled south of the border for abortion care since 2019, STV News reports. Health boards across Scotland can only administer abortions up to a 20-week limit, despite the legal limit in the UK being up to 24 weeks.
Speaking to the broadcaster, Claire, whose name has been changed to protect her identity, found out she was 22 weeks pregnant when she was 19. After seeking an abortion in Glasgow, she was told she would have to journey south as she wasn’t eligible.
She said: “I think when you’re going through something like that you just want to stay in your own bed. I was so nervous that I wouldn’t meet the cut-off date because, by the time we got down there, I was 23 weeks. Then by the time I actually got to have the procedure, I was 23 weeks and five days – which is far too close, when it could have been dealt with a little bit sooner if it was in Glasgow.”
Across all Scottish health boards since 2019, Greater Glasgow and Clyde had the greatest number of women travelling down to England for abortion care (67). Claire added: “It should be available in Scotland. I’m not the only person going through this. I worry about other people, not just myself.
“I’ve been through it and I’m quite strong but I worry about maybe girls younger than I was, girls who can’t tell their parents or don’t have jobs to be able to pay for that travel. What are they doing, like what help is there for them?”
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