to ask why abortion is different in Scotland then England

[abortioninscotland2025]

I've recently had a abortion at 7 weeks which i was given a phone appointment and then I collected my medication. I could have a early medical abortion at home until 12 weeks. I believe England is 10 weeks so a little different but not massively so. I found out if a women wants/needs a abortion past 20 weeks in Scotland she needs to go down ti a bpas clinic which nhs Scotland will pay for travel accommodation etc. Does this include tfmr? Can someone will more knowledge explain why Scotland doesn't have abortions past 20 wks when the law states 24 weeks?

It’s very simple - a unit has to do so many a year to keep the license to do them. We don’t have enough later terminations to be allowed the license, so women go to a more central centre of excellence.
it’s a safety feature.

I don't know about Scotland but in England the hospital will guide the patient through TFMR proceedings. Due to scheduling, the 20 week scan is often done after 20 weeks, and additional testing will push the time back after 24 weeks, at which point the TFMR will have to be signed off by a medical panel.

It does, it’s just that there’s not as many specialists and facilities and so the referral is usually to bpas to carry out the procedure.

Just because a medical procedure is legal, doesn't mean every health board has to offer it.

It's the whole of Scotland. Women get sent down to England. Which isn't ideal especially during a different time

This does make sense

I'm pretty sure it's still up to every health board to make that decision for itself.

And my point still stands. Your argument seems to be that it's legal so it should be available. That's simply not a valid argument.

I'm glad you have the answer to the why though. It does make a lot of sense.

You can get a TFMR (feral abnormalities etc) in Scotland up until 24 weeks, the cases of women who are sent to BPAS between 19+6 and 23+6 are those done for social reasons.

The management for TFMR are kept within the Obstetric and Midwifery teams care, social reasons are usually managed by Sexual Health.

This reminds me of the situation in Canada where a lot of hospitals cannot perform abortions past 20 weeks or so, and they have to go to America to get it done.