Background

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is the voice of nursing across the UK. The RCN promotes the interests of nursing staff and patients on a wide range of issues and helps shape health care policy by working closely with the UK Government and other national and international institutions, trade unions, professional bodies and voluntary organisations.

The current legislation which governs the termination of pregnancy is the Abortion Act 1967, which was revised and updated by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990. The Act covers England, Scotland and Wales but does not apply to Northern Ireland. More information can also be found on the Department of Health and Social Care's procedures for the approval of independent sector places for termination of pregnancy (abortion) in England webpage. It is critical therefore for nurses and midwives to have a sound understanding of the legislation, depending on where they practice.

The Abortion Act 1967 (as amended by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990) was originally enacted to end dangerous and illegal abortions and set out conditions and safeguards for women and people which included specifying where abortions can take place, and under what circumstances. It was also intended to protect professional practitioners involved in providing services.

The Abortion Act 1967, as amended by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990, provides access to abortion, under certain circumstances:

a. that the pregnancy has not exceeded its twenty-fourth week and that the continuance of the pregnancy would involve risk, greater than if the pregnancy were terminated, of injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman or any existing children of her family; or

b. that the termination is necessary to prevent grave permanent injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman; or

c. that the continuance of the pregnancy would involve risk to the life of the pregnant woman, greater than if the pregnancy were terminated; or

d. that there is a substantial risk that if the child were born it would suffer from such physical or mental abnormalities as to be seriously handicapped.

 

RCN Position Statement

It is recognised there are differing points of view surrounding abortion.

Amid these debates are nursing and midwifery teams, who are involved in the termination of pregnancy. The RCN aims to support our members in providing the very highest standards of compassionate care possible for those who choose to terminate a pregnancy and we are committed to providing considerate/empathetic support to those nursing and midwifery teams who provide safe and quality care.

Whether pregnancy is planned or unplanned, the RCN believes that every woman and individual should have the right to choose how to deal with this life event, within our current legislation. The RCN believes that termination of pregnancy and contraception are necessary and integral to the provision of a comprehensive sexual and reproductive health care service and we support the current legislation.

We equally acknowledge and respect those nursing and midwifery teams who have a conscientious objection. See RCN Conscientious Objection (Termination of Pregnancy).

This position statement applies to England, Scotland and Wales, as the Act in this context does not relate to Northern Ireland. On 1 April 2020, new legislation in Northern Ireland relating to termination of pregnancy was introduced.

In 2024, the RCN published a position statement on the decriminalisation of abortion in England, Wales and Scotland, which reaffirmed the RCN belief that all women and people who choose to, must be able to access safe and effective abortion care and be able to decide for themselves about their own pregnancy.

In view of recent changes in abortion care, the RCN believes that abortion should be governed by regulatory and professional health care standards rather than criminal law legislation and we support the decriminalisation of abortion in England, Wales and Scotland.

The 2024 position statement reaffirmed the RCN's support of the rights of health care workers to conscientiously object to providing direct abortion care, except in an emergency. Further information on conscientious objection can be found here.

 

Terminology

Abortion – is the expulsion of a fetus showing no signs of life before the 24th week of pregnancy. Abortion can occur spontaneously in which case it is usually called a miscarriage. Abortions that are medically or surgically induced are normally referred to as induced abortion or termination of pregnancy. Both Induced Abortion and Termination of Pregnancy are terms used interchangeably to describe abortion care.

It is recognised that care may be provided by registered nurses and midwives, nursing associates, nursing and midwifery support workers, and student nurses and midwives, and trainee nursing associates. For ease of reading the terms 'nurse' and 'nursing' are used throughout the document.

The RCN recognises and embraces our gender diverse society and this position statement can used by and/or applied to people who identify as non-binary, transgender, or gender fluid.