Abortion: Children and Young People

(asked on 19th December 2022) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to (a) ensure children and young people are not suffering from adverse (i) physical and (ii) psychological effects, (b) provide counselling services and (c) provide other adequate care following an early medical abortion undergone by a child or young person.


Answered by
Maria Caulfield Portrait
Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
This question was answered on 9th January 2023

Providers are required to have effective arrangements in place to safeguard children and young people accessing abortion services throughout their pathway, including complying with all legal requirements and ensuring staff are trained to recognise signs of abuse, including sexual violence or evidence of coercion.

The Department commissioned the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health to develop safeguarding guidance for those aged under 18 years old accessing early medical abortion services. The guidance, published in August, aims to ensure that children and young people’s holistic and safeguarding needs are identified and implemented in early medical abortion settings. This includes managing physical, psychological and wider care needs as appropriate.

The guidance emphasises the importance of abortion providers having strong working relationships and networks with wider health services including primary care, community and acute paediatrics and counselling services for children and young people.

Reticulating Splines