Dr. Abigail Aiken:

I thank the Deputy for her questions, the first of which was whether women were entitled to a better level of care. When we consider online tele-medicine services and travelling, although clearly they are providing abortion services which stop women from having to use coat hangers, bleach and other very dangerous methods, they do not and cannot address all of their needs. Even though online tele-medicine services are very safe and effective, as members will have seen in the charts we have shown, and although women have satisfied feelings afterwards, they still have to avail of such services illegally. The climate of anxiety which hangs over the women to whom we have talked and researched would not be described as quality medical care, given that it is cloak and dagger and there is the threat of prosecution hanging over one's head. They are entitled to better.

Women who travel access services within clinics, but they will still have to manage the symptoms and side effects of the procedure in public as they travel home. Those who live close to services can manage their symptoms quickly at home. There is a disparate level of care between the two systems.

As my colleague pointed out, there should be best practice in abortion services which should be accessible to everybody, regardless of cost and ability to pay, the reason or who someone is. There is a system in place under which women who have the resources and money can travel, although they may not have a great experience. We have heard from many women who had to travel back home while managing symptoms, who had to leave children at home and so forth. It is very difficult to integrate continuity of care when one cannot go to a health care professional, make the decision to have the procedure carried out and receive follow-up care within a continuum in the same health care service. When things are broken up, as is the case for women here, it is very difficult to have a cohesive service which meets everybody's needs.