#Keeptelemedicine
Our latest campaign centres on the success of telemedicine in providing safe, effective, and accessible abortion care, and the fight to make these important changes permanent
Latest updates
Telemedicine is the latest victim of the Tories’ culture war
The UK government has published a statement regarding the continued provision of telemedicine abortion services in England. Despite expert opinion and evidence that supports the need to make these services a permanent feature of women’s healthcare, the government has six months will be enough. Read our reaction here.
Welsh Assembly approves permanent telemedicine service
The Welsh Assembly has confirmed that the temporary regulatory changes made at the beginning of the COVID pandemic to ensure remote access to safe and effective abortion care will be made permanent.
What is telemedicine?
Find out more about the development of telemedicine, its impact on services, and the evidence for its continued use
Sean and Tom from DfCUK speak to aboriton providers about their experiences of developing telemedicine services and why it should continue
Quick guide
What is telemedicine?
In abortion care, telemedicine has come to represent the use of technology to reach women for remote consultations and then send them a treatment package to allow the self-administration of both abortion pills.
Accessibility
Telemedicine services improve access to abortion care by reducing waiting times, enabling women and pregnant people to access services at earlier gestations, and by providing a more convenient and flexible service.
Temporary regulatory changes
To allow this change in abortion provision, ministers had to change specific existing restrictions that we have long argued are clinically unnecessary and no longer justifiable. These changes, however, are only temporary and future political interference is likely.
Acceptability
When asked about their experience of telemedicine services, 96% of users were satisfied with their experience and 80% would, if necessary, prefer to use a telemedicine service again in the future.
Safety and effectives of telemedicine
A national study (the biggest abortion study to take place in the UK so far) showed that self-administration of abortion pills at home is just as safe as in-person abortion services. The study also showed that there is no evidence of a lower success rate with self-administration of pills.
Post-pandemic provision
England will end telemedicine in six months, whilst the Welsh Assembly will allow these services to continue permanently. Scotland is yet to publish their response to a recent consultation.