Service provision for women undergoing termination of pregnancy: progress in Wales, UK

Towards comprehensive early abortion service delivery in high income countries: insights for improving universal access to abortion in Australia

“…Of these, six papers focus specifically on service delivery related to aspects of surgical termination of pregnancy (STOP) while nine papers were concerned with medical termination (MTOP). Other papers describe both types of abortion with service related outcomes according to the components of care [ 48 , 63 ], approach to service integration [ 45 ], referral, booking and counselling [ 43 , 44 , 49 , 56 , 67 ] and the type of facility where the services are provided [ 23 , 46 , 60 , 61 , 64 – 66 ]. Of the access dimensions covered, least covered were adequacy and affordability with supply focused papers gaining more attention than those solely concerned with demand side issues.…”

“…In a minority of cases this wait extended up to 7 weeks [ 49 ]. Lipp’s investigation into services in nine Primary Health Trusts in Wales found that one Trust did not comply with referral times of 3 weeks as per clinical guidelines due to service constraints and five of 10 Trusts provided a dedicated assessment clinic as advised for women requesting TOP [ 48 ]. Lipp et al also assessed the quality of written information provided to women prior to abortion in relation to RCOG guidelines that dictate that verbal information should be supported by written impartial, printed material [ 70 ].…”

“…Staff interactions can mitigate or alleviate these experiences. (Lipp 2009) [ 48 ] Medical and surgical abortion: National Health Service Trusts in Wales, UK Quantitative descriptive: survey All National Health Service Trusts To establish current provision in termination of pregnancy In the nine Trusts performing abortions, medical abortions accounted for 57 % and surgical abortions for 43 %. Doctors in training were involved in six Trusts.…”

Self‐preservation in abortion care: a grounded theory study

“…Both methods of abortion are advancing, for example some surgical abortions are performed under local anaesthetic (NHS Direct 2007), and trials are being performed on ‘home’ medical abortions (BBC News 2007). Whether the woman undergoes a medical or surgical abortion will depend on a variety of factors such as her choice, gestation (RCOG 2004) and available services (Lipp 2008b). A recent UK Government response to a Science and Technology Committee advocated that nurses take a more central role in abortion including prescribing and administering the abortifacients as well as performing surgical abortions (Secretary of State for Health 2007).…”

Improving access to safe abortion in a rural primary care setting in India: experience of a service delivery intervention

“…For example, analysis of factors associated with abortion technique in France showed that given a choice, 84 % women adopted a medical method [ 14 ]. In other settings too, when women had information about both methods and were given a choice, they prefer medical abortion [ 15 – 17 ]. In our setting, medical abortion was not available till 2003, and subsequently was only offered to women till 7 weeks gestation, thereby rendering many ineligible.…”