The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) has expressed dismay that MPs have voted for a motion to make the controversial pills by post abortion scheme permanent. 

The amendment, which originated in the House of Lords, was passed by 215 votes to 188. 

Alithea Williams, SPUC’s Public Policy Manager, said: “It is disgusting that a Healthcare bill has been hijacked to push through something that is not healthcare by any definition. Instead, it is a way to end the lives of unborn children that bypasses even the few safeguards for women that the abortion law provided.  

“In approving this dangerous policy, MPs have ignored evidence of its dangers, and they have ignored women,” she continued. “In the Government consultation, 45% of the group of women who had accessed the pills by post service during the pandemic felt that there were benefits in relation to safeguarding and women’s safety in requiring at least one visit to a service to be assessed by a clinician. This is more than twice the number (22%) who said that there would be disadvantages.  

“It also ignores the evidence that 10,000 women have needed further hospital treatment after accessing this “service”.  

“The Government made the right decision to end this policy after listening to the evidence, including the overwhelming results of the public consultation,” Ms Williams concluded. “It was bad enough that this policy was introduced as a temporary measure during a public health emergency, but for MPs to actually vote for it, without even that bad excuse, shows how little they actually care about the health and wellbeing of women. This is a shameful day.” 

The Government tabled an amendment in lieu of Baroness Sugg’s original amendment, which, they said, was legally defective. MPs made strong contributions arguing against the policy, including Carla Lockhart MP, who quoted a story reported in the BBC today about 16 year old Savannah, who took abortion pills thinking she was less than 8 weeks pregnant. She  was left traumatised after giving birth to a 20 week baby with a heartbeat.