SIXTY-five thousand women in England and Wales were forced to pay for a private abortion in 1979. Only 46.1 per cent of abortions in that year were performed on the NHS.
Abortion the only operation in this country tor which you are likely to have to pay. It is also the only operation which is illegal, except under specitic circumstances.
A combination of Thatcher's axe and anti-abortion senior hospital consultants is making it even harder to get a health service abortion. While the number of abortions increases, the percentage carried out by the NHS continues to fall.
In some areas, like Liverpool and the West Midlands, it is virtually impossible to get an NHS abortion because of LIC COHOUILAILS who are determined not to implement the 1967 Abortion Act.
Hsewhere the cuts have forced the closure of gynaecological wards, and promised day-care clinics have mateauseo long that an abortion was no longer teasible.
The 1979 Royal Commission on the NHS advocated an increase in health service abortion facilities reverse has happened and the '67 Act is being further under. mined through Lne facilities.
Over the past tew years we have seen numerous on our to abortion of haying up the o Act Yet the most glaring abuses of this legislation who won't implement it and the facilities have BOVRI The Black PS attacks PH limited right all in the name the doctors to NHS photo been 1gcome for Rights White's Bill, June 1975 A bill both the thest La 10-Minute year. adopted for positive of are put to the allow Party conference Secondly, the bill women's experiences debate on abortion towards what want.
_PUC WOMENS OFF FLASHBACK to the National Abortion Campaign march against James the bateground for the fight will not for a woman's right to choose although it can provide a as it was the mass movement outside parliament so decisive in the defeat of the Corrie Bill in and which scared Timothy Sainsbury off introducing further restrictions so it will be that mass movement which will be winning positive abortion rights for women.
The NAC/LARC labour move comicace is bac first stage in building a mass committed to for positive legisianon on abortion. positions to defend the '67 Act and no Other labour movement bodies, like the TUC and the Labour Party, have positions supporting a woman's right to choose but have not discussed how this will be achieved.
A commitment from the labour movement to actively campaign for and support the draft bill on facilities will be a Draft Bill For the provision of facilities for the termina1. (1) It shall be the duty ensure that each district health make such provision for of pregnancy inside the NaHealth Service for all terminations carried out on women ordinarily resident in that area either:
(i) both within the NHS and the private sector, or (ii) whether carried out by the NHS or not.
(2) The district health authority shall calculate the extent of facilities quired to carry out this Act/Section by reference lo ine last year yor wnich figures are available relating to termination o)
pregnancy in that district.
quired from any person in respect of the termination of a pregnancy within the NHS step towards achieving woman's right to choose Delegates to the 14 March conference will have the op portunity to discuss how they can win that commitment and how the campaign for abortion rights can be taken forward.