Background

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is the voice of nursing across the UK and is the largest professional union of nursing staff in the world. 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 issues of how a termination of pregnancy takes place comes from the Abortion Act 1967, which was revised and updated in 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 passed to end dangerous and illegal abortions and set out conditions and safeguards for women which included specifying where abortions could take place, and under what circumstances. It was also intended to protect professional practitioners involved in providing services to women.

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 that there are differing points of view on the issues surrounding abortion.

In the midst of these debates are women, men and nursing and midwifery teams, who are involved in termination of pregnancy. The RCN aims to support its members in providing the very highest standards of compassionate care possible for women who choose to have a termination of pregnancy, and are committed to providing considerate/empathetic support to those nursing and midwifery teams who work to provide safe and quality care.

Whether pregnancy is planned or unplanned, the RCN believes that every woman (and those who may not identify as women) should have the right to choose how to deal with this life event, within 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 support the current legislation.

We equally acknowledge and respect those nursing and midwifery teams who have a conscientious objection within current legislation. 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, which reaffirmed the RCN belief that  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. 

In view of recent changes in abortion care it also agreed that The RCN believes that abortion should be governed by regulatory and professional health care standards rather than criminal law (legislation) and supports calls for 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 this 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.