A senior obstetrician has raised concerns about inadequate surgical abortion services in Wales, saying some women are compelled to travel to England to access care. Dr Ed Dorman, who works at a British Pregnancy Advisory Service clinic in London, reported treating women from Wales approximately every other week, but expressed concern about an unknown number of women who may lack the ability to travel and consequently continue unplanned pregnancies.
About 90% of women seeking to end pregnancies opt for medical abortions using tablets taken at home. However, after 10 weeks of pregnancy, surgical abortion procedures can be performed at clinics or hospitals and offer faster completion and quicker recovery times compared to medical abortions. Dr Jane Dickson, representing the British Society of Abortion Care Providers in Wales, noted that surgical abortions remain rarely available in Wales despite these advantages, necessitating travel across the border into England. Dickson also highlighted that conscientious objection among healthcare staff in Wales—whereby employees can refuse to participate in abortion care based on moral or religious grounds—is widespread and exacerbates the service provision challenges.
The travel burden creates significant hardship for patients. Women beyond 18 weeks of pregnancy must now travel to England for surgical procedures following the closure of a Cardiff clinic operated by BPAS. Approximately 175 women from Wales annually travel to England for surgical abortion care. The organization currently serves women from north and mid-Wales at facilities in Chester, Birmingham, and Merseyside. Dickson described cases where women experienced delays in care lasting six weeks and situations where financial constraints prevented travel, forcing women to continue pregnancies they wished to terminate.
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists stated that abortion care constitutes essential healthcare that must be accessible to all women in Wales. The Welsh government indicated that improving abortion services has been designated as a priority and emphasized that women should access essential healthcare closer to home. Officials stated they are collaborating with NHS Wales to identify and remove barriers to providing surgical abortion services within Wales.
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