On Wednesday 29 April 2026 abortion was decriminalised when the Criminal Justice Bill received Royal Assent.
Viewed in tandem with the current practice of telemedicine abortion and ‘DIY at home abortions’, the legislation in effect legalises dangerous self-managed backstreet abortions – even up to birth.
As I wrote when the bill was voted on in parliament, it weakens important safeguards for both lives, women and unborn children, and the integrity of pregnancy care.
This month two private members’ bills related to abortion began their parliamentary process. Both are important to understand for anyone concerned about current practice as well as the future impact of this new legislation.
Reporting of abortion complications
Lord Moylan’s Complications from Abortions (Annual Report) Bill seeks to address the acknowledged under-reporting of complications from abortions. Hospital emergency departments are now treating women with post-abortion complications after self-managed abortions, but these cases are not included in the government’s abortion statistics. Those only cover information provided by the abortion provider.
Viewed in tandem with the current practice of telemedicine abortion and ‘DIY at home abortions’, the legislation in effect legalises dangerous self-managed backstreet abortions, even up to birth.”
Historically, abortion providers submitted information about each abortion, including any complications, once the abortion procedure was completed and before the woman was discharged. However, in 2023, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) acknowledged “that there are limitations with the abortion complications data that is collected”.
That system is no longer fit for purpose in an era of telemedicine and self-managed abortion. Pills are posted out, while the reporting forms may be completed by providers with no knowledge of whether, when, or by whom they are taken, and without an in-person appointment to confirm completion or the woman’s wellbeing.
In October 2025, public health consultant Kevin Duffy wrote: “In the five years since the introduction of pills-by-post, more than 54,000 women have been admitted to an NHS hospital in England for the treatment of complications arising from the use of abortion pills.”
The OHID recognises that combining Hospital Episode Statistics with the Abortion Notification System gives a truer picture. Lord Moylan’s bill would improve the collection and content of this data, providing an annual report “to inform both future policy as well as safe practice”.
Increasing protections
Baroness O’Loan’s Infant (Born Alive) Protection Bill requires that any infant born alive after an attempted termination receive appropriate medical treatment and care.
This bill recognises that a system enabling self-managed abortion without face-to-face care increases the risk of a woman giving birth to a live baby.
Abortion providers know that the likelihood of survival increases with gestational stage; this risk is expected, planned for, and is why feticide is recommended from 21 weeks of pregnancy.
It is almost incomprehensible that, in the name of progressive law and healthcare, women and babies could be abandoned to such trauma.”
Those seeking further decriminalisation also know the risk of live birth. Perhaps this is why some have expressed a desire that concealing a birth, death, or disposal of a baby’s body should not be an offence.
It is almost incomprehensible that, in the name of progressive law and healthcare, women and babies could be abandoned to such trauma. Baroness O’Loan’s bill seeks to ensure that the legal duty to provide care for both is upheld and enforced.
Whatever the final outcome of these bills, we are grateful to Baroness O’Loan and Lord Moylan for highlighting the failings of the UK’s abortion law and seeking better protection in practice.
Those of us committed to the human dignity of every person, born and unborn, must also be prepared to raise our voices and stand against the harms of abortion.
It may be unlikely that this government or this parliament, having shown a strong commitment to pro-abortion activism, will enact legislation that humanises babies chosen for termination or exposes evidence of abortion harm.
However, we believe that both lives matter in every pregnancy — always. Calling out harmful practice and advocating for better care within the existing abortion system is not support for abortion; it is an effort to limit harm.
Ultimately, we imagine and pray for better laws and healthcare practices: life-affirming, enabling, and committed to protecting the lives and dignity of women and unborn children.
Image: House of Lords pics: © House of Lords / photography by Roger Harris
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