Under consideration PE2126: Ensure abortion services are available up to 24 weeks across all parts of Scotland

Background information

I previously called for this action as part of petition PE1969: Amend the law to fully decriminalise abortion in Scotland, and feel that this aspect was not responded to by the Scottish Government during the consideration of that petition.

Recent media reports suggest that there is only one doctor in Scotland who is trained to provide surgical abortions up to the legal limit, which is forcing vulnerable people to travel to England to end their pregnancies.

STV news have reported that “the number of women and girls travelling to England from Scotland for abortion care has been rising – going from 42 in 2021 to 65 in 2022 and 68 in 2023. By April this year, 26 women were already forced to make the journey”.