Early medical abortion at home

31 March 2022

Dear

ATISN 16132 – Early Medical Abortion at Home

Thank you for your request to the Welsh Government for information under the Freedom of Information Act (2000) received on 3 March 2022.  You have requested the following:

1. A copy of the new guidance for early medical abortion at home referred to in the written statement made by the Welsh Government on 24 February this year:

Written Statement: Arrangements for Early Medical Abortion at Home

2. All documentation including correspondence, meeting agendas, minutes and papers relating to the decision to make early medical abortion at home permanent in Wales

3. To provide what Eluned Morgan referred to as all ‘subsequent information on the safety of abortion services under these arrangements’ that were used.

Our response

1.  Whilst I can confirm that the Welsh Government holds information of this description, it is considered exempt under section 22 of the Freedom of Information Act. This states (inter alia):

Information is exempt information if:

a.  the information is held by the public authority with a view to its publication, by the authority or any other person, at some future date (whether determined or not),

b.  the information was already held with a view to such publication at the time when the request for information was made, and

c.  it is reasonable in all the circumstances that the information should be withheld from disclosure until the date referred to in paragraph (a)

I can confirm that the conditions under (a) and (b) are satisfied. Welsh Government does hold the information being requested. The guidance will be published as soon as possible.

Under (c), the Welsh Government believes that it is reasonable in all the circumstances that the information should be withheld from disclosure until that time. Publishing the requested information now may not reflect the information that will be published on the website as the document is undergoing quality assurance checks ready for publication. For that reason, we believe it is reasonable for the publication schedule to remain so as to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the information.

2.  Document captured by your request are attached to the email. 

Doc 1 - 2019-09-25 NICE Guidance abortion-care-pdf
Doc 2 - 2020-09-02 Follow-up Letter to health boards from DCMO Abortion at home
Doc 3 - 2020-09-08 Prof Chris Jones re Abortion - COVID-19
Doc 4 - 2020-09-09 Abortion COVID-19 Approval for Mifepristone to be taken at home
Doc 5 - 2020-09-09 LR-jb-09-8233
Doc 6 - BJOG - 2019 - Endler - Telemedicine for medical abortion a systematic review
Doc 7 - BJOG - 2021 - Aiken - Effectiveness safety and acceptability of no-test medical abortion termination of pregnancy
Doc 8 - Early Medical Abortion - Evidence Paper

3.  As above in 2

The full responses to the consultation on EMAH at home can now be found on the Welsh Government website: Termination of pregnancy arrangements in Wales.

Next steps

If you are dissatisfied with the Welsh Government’s handling of your request, you can ask for an internal review within 40 working days of the date of this response. Requests for an internal review should be addressed to the Welsh Government’s Freedom of Information Officer at:

Information Rights Unit
Welsh Government
Cathays Park
Cardiff
CF10 3NQ 
or Email: Freedom.ofinformation@gov.wales

Please remember to quote the ATISN reference number above.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:

Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

However, please note that the Commissioner will not normally investigate a complaint until it has been through our own internal review process.

Yours sincerely