Green Party leader: The health department is dragging its feet on abortion access

This Department of Health has recently expressed concern for women’s health around the home use of abortion medication in a statement to the News Letter.
By Clare Bailey
Published 30th Sep 2020, 12:45 BST
Letter to the editorLetter to the editor
Letter to the editor

(The article can be read here ‘Health department warns of risks to women over DIY abortions,’ September 25).

I find this entirely patronising and completely ironic.

Women have suffered much during this pandemic with the situation particularly cruel for women in need of abortion services.

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The Department of Health should have commissioned services to provide free, safe and legal abortion during this time. However, the department has dragged its feet, which represents the real and actual risk to women.

I have also been informed that an application for funding of regional abortion services has been declined by Health and Social Care Board as they have had no direction from Department of Health to commission services.

We are going to end up with a crisis in the middle of a pandemic with early medical abortion services potentially unable to continue beyond October.

Rather than patronising women, the department must step up and fund services already in place, as a bare minimum.

Clare Bailey MLA, Leader Green Party NI, South Belfast

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Related topics:Department of HealthGreen Party