Department Of Health
Details
On 30 March 2022, Parliament voted in favour of the amendment to the Health and Care Bill, making the temporary approval allowing home use of both pills for early medical abortions permanent in England and Wales.
The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has approved 2 temporary measures in England to limit the transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19) and ensure continued access to early medical abortion services:
- women and girls will be able to take both pills for early medical abortion up to 10 weeks in their own homes, without the need to first attend a hospital or clinic
- registered medical practitioners (doctors) will be able to prescribe both pills for the treatment of early medical abortion up to 10 weeks from their own homes
This must be carried out in line with the criteria set out in the attached document.
This approval supersedes the approval of 30 March 2020.
The government has announced an extension of the temporary approval to enable a safe and reliable return to pre-pandemic arrangements and continued access to services. This replacement temporary measure will end at midnight on 29 August 2022 after which face-to-face services will return.