A routine, ongoing review of Guernsey's public health legislation has been taking place in which the differences between the UK and Guernsey system were identified. Express reported in our printed edition in April that the Committee intended to review abortion services in line with the legislation itself. 

Approximately 100 abortions take place per year in Guernsey  with the patients being seen by their GPs and practitioners at the Medical Specialist Group (MSG). Guernsey was one of the last places in Britain to legalise the procedure, under certain circumstances, when it was voted through in 1996.

The last available government statistics show that in the UK around 16.7 women for every 1000 received an abortion in 2017. 

UK regulations ensure anonymised information is sent to the Department of Health to assess trends including ethnicity, age and marital status of the women, and their treatment plan. A spokesperson for Health said it was looking to do something similar.

“We don’t at present publish the information, but are looking at producing a report on our trends in the future,” they said at the time. 

In a statement released today, a spokesperson from Health said the review has shown far more restrictive limits for pregnant women assessing their options: 

"In the UK, a pregnancy can be terminated at any stage if there is a risk to the pregnant woman's life or to her health. Pregnant women can also seek an abortion up to 24 weeks of pregnancy if the risks of continuation are greater than the risks of termination, or at any stage if severe foetal abnormalities are detected during pregnancy.

"Guernsey's laws are the same as the UK's when there is an immediate risk to the life or health of the pregnant woman, but, in Guernsey, there is a 24-week limit on abortions where severe foetal abnormalities are detected, and only a 12-week limit where the risks of continuation are greater than those of termination. These limits are much more restrictive than those in the UK, and the Committee feels it would be appropriate to consult the public on whether our laws should be brought in line with those of the UK in this respect.

"In addition, the wording of Guernsey's law is unfortunately ambiguous when it comes to the legal status of providing information about abortion services, or referring women to abortion services other than those provided here. This is evidently problematic when it has become a normal part of good clinical practice to refer some women off-island for termination, in cases where specialist care is necessary. That aspect of the law clearly needs to be brought up to date. Following recommendations from Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, the British Medical Association and the Royal College of Midwives, the Committee also wishes to consult on whether or not it should still be a crime for a woman to attempt to induce her own abortion, as is currently the case.

"The Committee is well aware that abortion is a topic of considerable public debate around the world at present, and that Guernsey people will have strong views about any proposed changes to the Island's abortion laws. For that reason, the Committee will be seeking full public consultation on its proposals before these are brought to the States, so that any changes can be debated in a robust and transparent manner," it read. 

Before this review any women seeking advice on abortion should contact their GP.