Succes of pilot scheme means women in the UK will be offered abortions at home

Following a successful pilot scheme, women in the UK may soon be offered "home abortions".

The Department of Health project found that none of the 172 women who underwent nurse-supervised terminations in a GP's surgery rather than a hospital or private clinic, suffered any complications or safety problems.

It was found that women less than nine weeks pregnant are safely able to have a medical abortion outside hospital and the success has prompted family planning campaigners to call for the practice to be extended to more women.

At present in the UK abortions can only be carried out in hospitals or clinics.

The pilot could now pave the way for allowing women to have medical abortions in GPs' surgeries, family planning clinics and even in their own homes.

The women were given a tablet of the drug mifepristone before returning two days later to take four pills of misoprostol, which leads to a termination within a few hours.

Shirley Butler, project manager for the trial, says the trial demonstrates that abortion is safe outside a hospital, and Anne Weyman, the chief executive of FPA (formerly the Family Planning Association) says the organisation is encouraged that the pilot study has been so successful.

A spokesman for the Department of Health has confirmed that further pilot schemes were continuing and no decision would be made until a full evaluation had been carried out.

As to be expected anti-abortion campaigners fear that the practice could lead to more women having terminations without being counselled about alternatives.

The location of the pilot scheme is not being revealed because of concerns pro-life protesters may harass nurses.