Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what public communications (a) have been issued and (b) are planned to inform women undergoing abortion care that identifiable data will be processed within a new system, including through new analytical infrastructure.

The Department is currently working on an engagement plan to support abortion care providers transition to the new abortion data collection service. In line with the Department’s required standard operating procedures (RSOPs) for the approval of independent sector abortion clinics, abortion providers should make women aware of how the contents of the statutory HSA4 form sent to the Chief Medical Officer will be used and shared by the Department. The RSOPs include a suggested privacy notice to share with anyone undergoing abortion care which provides a clear understanding of what data is shared with the Department, the legal basis for collecting their data, and how the Department will manage their data.