The Abortion (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2020

PART 4

Places where treatment for terminations may be carried out

Places where treatment for terminations may be carried out

8.—(1) Any treatment for the termination of pregnancy must be carried out—

(a) in an HSC hospital;

(b) at a clinic provided by an HSC trust for the purpose of carrying out terminations (whether or not the clinic also provides other services);

(c) at premises used to provide primary medical services in accordance with arrangements under the Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1972(1);

(d) in the case of the second stage of treatment for termination where the conditions mentioned in paragraph (2) are satisfied, in the home of the pregnant woman; or

(e) at a place approved under paragraph (3).

(2) The conditions mentioned in paragraph (1)(d) are that—

(a) the woman undergoing treatment for the termination of pregnancy has attended a place mentioned in sub-paragraph (a), (b) or (c) of paragraph (1) where she has been prescribed Mifepristone and Misoprostol to be taken for the purposes of terminating the pregnancy;

(b) the woman has taken Mifepristone at that place; and

(c) the pregnancy has not exceeded its 10th week.

(3) The Department may, for the purposes of these Regulations, approve a place for the carrying out of terminations.

(4) The power under paragraph (3) to approve a place includes power, in relation to a termination carried out by means consisting primarily in the use of such medicines as may be specified in the approval and carried out in such manner as may be so specified, to approve a class of places.

(5) An approval under this regulation—

(a) must be given in writing;

(b) must be published by the Department in such manner as it thinks appropriate.

(6) In this regulation—

“home”, in relation to a woman, means the place in Northern Ireland where the woman has her permanent address or usually resides;

“HSC hospital” means a hospital managed by an HSC trust;

“HSC trust” means a health and social care trust established under Article 10 of the Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1991(2);

“second stage of treatment” means the taking of the medicine Misoprostol.

(1)

S.I. 1972/1265 (N.I. 14), as amended by the Health and Social Care (Reform) Act (Northern Ireland) 2009 c.1 (N.I.), S.I. 2004/311 (N.I. 2).

(2)

S.I. 1991/194 (N.I. 1), as amended by the Health and Social Care (Reform) Act (Northern Ireland) 2009 c.1 (N.I.), the Health and Personal Social Services Act (Northern Ireland) 2001 c.3 (N.I.), S.I. 1994/429 (N.I. 2), S.I. 1997/1177 (N.I.7).