SPUC condemns Doncaster abortion clinic for putting the health of girls as young as 13 at risk 

SPUC has condemned a Doncaster abortion clinic which put the health of women and girls, as young as 13, at risk according to a damning report from the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Alithea Williams, SPUC Parliamentary Research Officer said: "The CQC gives a chilling insight into an abortion clinic. The only improvement for such a clinic in a civilised society is to close it down. We urgently need to rethink abortion as a solution for women in need."

The abortion clinic, operated by BPAS (British Pregnancy Advisory Service), was exposed by the report, which was published last week, to have violated a number of health and safety regulations regarding surgical abortions.

The CQC inspectors reported that ‘Care and treatment was not always provided in a safe way for patients.’

Health and safety abuses

The health and safety violations were revealed at the clinic during an unannounced inspection.

Across one year, eight patients were transferred from the abortion clinic to a hospital for emergency treatment. It has been recorded how one of these incidents occurred whilst inspectors were inside the clinic.

The clinic was in breach of numerous safety violations:

• · Not all equipment met infection and prevention control requirements at all times. This meant that patients could be put at risk of infection when undergoing surgical termination of pregnancy.
• · The service did not use a paediatric specific early warning score for young patients
• · There was ineffective management of waiting lists, which meant that patients were not always provided with treatment within 10 working days
• · Not all risks to performance measures were recorded and acted upon

"A chilling insight into an abortion clinic"

Ms Williams said: ‘This is yet another BPAS clinic which is putting women’s health and safety at risk. And there is no safety at all for the thousands of unborn babies who are killed in the clinic. The CQC gives a chilling insight into an abortion clinic. The only improvement for such a clinic in a civilised society is to close it down. We urgently need to rethink abortion as a solution for women in need.

"A particularly damning section of the report highlighted the case of a 15-year-old girl who had developed sepsis...In addition, girls as young as 13 having surgical abortions were being treated in the same way as adults.

"Under-age girls having abortions should send out warning signs. Why were they presenting for abortion? Were there issues of coercion or abuse in these cases? These are the questions BPAS should have been asking and acting upon if they really cared about the children coming into their clinic.’

"The BPAS clinic has been told to improve by the CQC. The only real improvement for any abortion clinic is to close it down. Women need help and support not abortion."