Marie Stopes, UK’s largest abortion provider, will turn away Irish women
Author: Dr. Helen O’Neill
Marie Stopes International, Britain’s largest abortion provider has just announced that it will have to begin turning Irish women away from its clinics as it struggles to meet demand.
A spokeswoman for the family planning charity said it would now prioritise the needs of NHS referred UK-based clients – though Irish women who had already booked appointments would be treated. “We’re looking at our capacity across the country. Irish women may have to go to slightly different locations to access our services” she said.
The charity said it will now begin to refer Irish clients to another abortion provider, the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) – but it warned it was also feeling the strain.
Shockingly, women are forced to travel from Ireland and pay privately for an abortion in Britain because abortion is illegal in almost all circumstances in Ireland.
While the restrictions are said to be temporary, more than 3,400 Irish women travelled to Britain for an abortion in 2015 according to UK Government figures, accounting for the largest number of non-UK nationals having an abortion in the country.
“January and February are always the busiest times of year and we are currently managing high demand by referring some women to other providers to ensure they can be seen as soon as possible.” according to the spokeswoman.
Read More:
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/uk-abortion-clinics-to-turn-away-irish-women-ndb6f2mpt
Image credit:AFP/Getty Images
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