Wednesday 23rd April 2025
Heidi Stewart, Chief Executive of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, BPAS, said:
“It is unacceptable that such high numbers of women from Scotland are being forced to travel to England, often under the most complex and distressing circumstances, to access lawful abortion care.
“Despite a commitment from the Scottish Government to resolve this issue years ago, meaningful change has yet to be delivered. BPAS has offered to work with Government and Health Boards to establish a service within Scotland, but that offer has not been taken up. That choice has meant that hundreds of women have had to make the journey from Scotland to England for this vital care.
“Across the rest of the UK, women are able to access this care closer to home - it is deeply unjust that Scottish women are left behind. Whilst BPAS will continue to be there for everyone who needs us, our priority remains ensuring that comprehensive abortion care is accessible, timely, and available within Scotland."
ENDS
For further information, please contact the BPAS press office on press@bpas.org or 07985 351751.
About BPAS
The British Pregnancy Advisory Service, BPAS, is a charity that sees over 100,000 women a year for reproductive healthcare services including pregnancy counselling, abortion care, miscarriage management and contraception at clinics across Great Britain.
BPAS exists to further women’s reproductive choices. We believe all women should have the right to make their own decisions in and around pregnancy, from the contraception they use to avoid pregnancy right the way through to how they decide to feed their newborn baby, with access to evidence-based information to underpin their choices and high-quality services and support to exercise them.
BPAS also runs the Centre for Reproductive Research and Communication, CRRC. Through rigorous multidisciplinary research and impactful communication, the CRRC aims to inform policy, practice, and public discourse. You can find out more here.