400 use GP early abortion clinics; North East centre sees huge demand.

Byline: Jane Kirby

ANEWCASTLE GP surgery is one of two in the UK which have carried out more than 400 early-stage abortions in the last year, it emerged yesterday. The British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) runs clinics for early medical abortions (EMAs) at less than nine weeks at surgeries at the Judy Durning Unit of the Saville Medical Group in Newcastle and in Wolverhampton.

The Department of Health allows BPAS to run its services out of surgeries after the practice was first introduced just over a year ago in Wolverhampton and since this April in Newcastle.

The charity acts as an independent provider performing abortions for NHS patients under a contract with the local primary care trust (PCT).

Ann Furedi, chief executive of BPAS, said: "Women's take up of BPAS' early medical abortion service provided within a local GP surgery has been encouraging. Women tell us they really appreciate being able to access services close to home.

"It's important to remember that providing this early abortion service is not simply a question of offering women medication, but requires a whole framework of round-the-clock expert support and care.

"With that in mind, we agree that it remains to be seen how many GPs will wish to provide this service, should that become an option in future."

EMA involves two trips to a clinic, hours or a day apart, to take pills which induce miscarriage.

Dr Peter Ilves, a GP in Roehampton, south-west London, and a commissioner for NHS Wandsworth, told Pulse magazine, which revealed the figures: "It's not true that because you have the availability you have more abortions.

"It will give an increased opportunity to women who find there are barriers to getting an abortion."

Richard Hoey, editor of Pulse, said: "Providing abortion at a practice will never be for every GP, because of the degree of workload involved and also for some because of their personal views. But there are problems with access to abortion in some areas that can cause distressing delays for women, and many GPs do feel that a service based at practices could be part of the solution to that."

A spokeswoman for the Department of Health said: "Providing early medical abortion in a community setting is about increasing the choice of method and location as well as improving early access to abortions.

"Evidence shows that earlier abortions carry less risk of complications -it is not about increasing the number of abortions."