Amendments to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill have been put forward for debate this month in the House of Commons, that would allow nurses with suitable training to carry out both early medical abortions (EMAs) and early surgical abortions.
If successful, the amendments would come into effect next year.
However, nurses would not be allowed to sign the legal grounds for abortion as this would still be reserved for doctors.
Currently, the Abortion Act 1967 prevents nurses from prescribing the drugs mifepristone and misoprostol, which are needed for an EMA.
The Act also prevents nurses from performing any surgical abortions.
Speaking at the British Pregnancy Advisory Service conference in London last month, Kathy French, a nurse working in sexual health and abortion, called for the Abortion Act to be updated to reflect how the role of the nurse has evolved.
'Nurses should be able to provide early surgical abortions and to prescribe abortion medication for EMAs. This would help improve and speed up abortion access for women.
'But it would not be something that every nurse would have to do. Only those with the training.'
Results of a DoH pilot study into EMAs in community settings, published in May, highlighted nurses' professionalism and sensitivity and commended their reassuring nature and warmth.
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