Belfast City Council is urging the Northern Health Trust to provide more information about early medical abortion on its website.
At the council ’s recent meeting of its Standards and Business Committee, elected members passed and adopted a People Before Profit motion that council officers write to the health trust, and also to write to the Stormont Health Minister to hold an emergency meeting on abortion services in Northern Ireland.
People Before Profit Councillor Fiona Ferguson, who tabled the motion, wanted to debate it at the full meeting of the council on November 1, but this was voted down by Sinn Féin, the DUP and the PUP.
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In the end, the motion was adopted by the committee, with 11 votes in support, from Sinn Féin, the SDLP, Alliance, People Before Profit and the PUP, to six objections from the DUP and the UUP.
The motion states: “This council notes the third anniversary of the decriminalisation of abortion which was marked by women and other activists in Belfast City Centre. The council also notes that services have yet to be officially commissioned despite the decriminalisation of abortion, and that the information provided on the Northern Trust website is unacceptably lacking.
“This council considers this inaction to be an abject failure on behalf of the Health Minister Robin Swann and the wider Executive, and recognises the urgency with which action needs to be taken.”
It adds: “Given the failure to provide adequate reproductive healthcare, this council acknowledges both the detrimental impact on women on this city and the incredible work done by activists in organisations like Alliance for Choice and Project Choice, and charities like BPAS and Informing Choices in raising awareness of limited abortion access and providing that access for women who need an abortion.
“Accordingly, the council agrees to write to the Northern Trust to encourage it to provide more information about early medical abortion on their website, and to include the section on abortion on its “A-Z of services” page. The council also agrees to write to Minister Swann to express our disappointment and urge him to convene an emergency meeting of the Executive to officially commission abortion services.
“In the event that a prolonged period without Stormont Ministers looks likely, the council finally agrees to write to the Secretary of State to act where possible to ensure abortion services are commissioned.”
DUP Councillor Dean McCullough told the chamber: “I’m sure the Tories are waiting with bated breath to hear what People Before Profit have to say on the matter. Our party position remains the same, we believe in life and devolution, and the people of Northern Ireland making devolved decisions, not least when it comes to the life of the unborn.”
The Northern Trust states in response to the Belfast Council motion: "During the COVID-19 surge, tight restrictions on travel made abortion services effectively unobtainable for women in Northern Ireland and the Northern Health and Social Care Trust responded by providing an interim localised service for women for Early Medical Abortion up to 10 weeks gestation.
"NHSCT are now providing EMA services to women up to 11 weeks plus 6 days gestation and our website has been updated to reflect this. The British Pregnancy Advisory Service function is the central access point for all women wishing to access abortion services in Northern Ireland and they will co-ordinate the onward referral to the relevant trust.
"Formal commissioning of services is awaited, however, the trust has been working with the commissioners to recruit a full Sexual Reproductive Health team which will support and develop abortion services. Once in place, information pertaining to this service will be uploaded to the website. "
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