The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has called for the decriminalisation of abortion in England, Wales and Scotland.
The union urged abortion to be treated as a health matter, rather than a criminal issue, in a statement issued last week.
It is currently a criminal offence for women to obtain an abortion without the approval of two doctors, as outlined in the 1967 Abortion Act, in England, Wales and Scotland.
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In Northern Ireland, a 2020 law offers women the autonomy to make decisions about their pregnancies without the risk of prosecution.
Despite the legal frameworks in place, women can still find themselves outside of the perimeters for a legal abortion, said the RCN, and some of these women have faced criminal charges for terminating their pregnancy.
The position statement stressed women’s right to choose and said abortion should be governed by regulatory and professional health care standards, rather than by criminal law.
‘The RCN believes that all women must be able to continue to access safe and effective abortion care and be able to decide for themselves about their own pregnancy,’ it outlined.
While calling for decriminalisation, the union said it supports health care professionals’ right to conscientious objection and is clear that any change in law would require ‘strong regulatory and quality monitoring processes’.
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‘Abortion services must continue to be tightly regulated, with health care professionals responsible to their professional regulators, and the rights of conscientious objectors upheld. Abortion should be treated as a health, rather than a criminal, issue,’ the statement reads.
The RCN’s position statement to reaffirm its commitment to decriminalisation followed a debate on abortion at RCN Congress 2024 earlier this year.
The debate followed a motion posed by the RCN Women’s Health Forum, and the publication of a position statement was later mandated by RCN Council.
The RCN is also joining a multi-organisational campaign calling for the decriminalisation of abortion, alongside organisations such as the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG).
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The RCN’s statement acknowledged that the majority of abortion care is provided to women, but added that other people can also experience pregnancy and abortion.
A report published last year by the Shaping Abortion for Change Report (SACHA), said nurses and midwives should be able to approve abortions.
