Website of the Department of Health

Abortion

Abortion is legal in Great Britain under the Abortion Act 1967, as amended

In 2008 a total of 195,300 abortions were performed on residents of England and Wales and 91% of these were funded by the NHS. 90% of abortions were carried out at under 13 weeks gestation: 73% were at under 10 weeks.

Women seeking a termination for whatever reason must have grounds under the Abortion Act. A pregnancy may only be terminated if two registered medical practitioners are of the opinion, formed in good faith that an abortion is justified within the terms of the Act, in the light of their clinical judgement of all the particular circumstances of the individual case.

• Evaluation of Early Medical Abortion (EMA) Pilot Sites
• Government Response to the Report from the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee on the Scientific Developments Relating to the Abortion Act 1967
• Abortion notification forms
• Abortion statistics, England and Wales: 2002 onwards
• Abortion Statistics from the Office for National Statistics 1991-2001 (opens new window)
• An investigation into the British Pregnancy Advisory Service response to requests for late abortions: A report by the Chief Medical Officer
• Conscious sedation in termination of pregnancy
• Disclosure Review for Health Statistics - 1st report - Guidance for Abortion Statistics (opens new window)
• Independent health care: national minimum standards, regulations
• Independent sector places for the termination of pregnancy
• Pregnancy Advice Bureaux
• Procedures for the approval of independent sector places for the termination of pregnancy
• Procedures for the registration of pregnancy advice bureaux
• Download Q and A on disposal following pregnancy loss before 24 weeks (PDF, 111K)
• Abortion Act 1967 (opens new window)
• The Abortion Regulations 1991 (opens new window)
• The Abortion (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2002 (opens new window)
• The Abortion (Amendment) Regulations 2008 (opens new window)