Abortion
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether privacy notices issued to women undergoing abortion care have been updated to reflect the introduction of new analytical infrastructure and changes to the legal context following the Crime and Policing Act 2026.
Answered by Mrs Sharon Hodgson
All privacy notices will be reviewed and updated, if required, to reflect any changes to the technical infrastructure that supports the collection and processing of abortion data.
In line with the Department’s required standard operating procedures (RSOPs) for the approval of independent sector abortion clinics, abortion providers should make women aware of how the contents of the statutory HSA4 form sent to the Chief Medical Officer will be used and shared by the Department. The RSOPs include a suggested privacy notice to share with anyone undergoing abortion care which provides a clear understanding of what data is shared with the Department, the legal basis for collecting their data, and how the Department will manage their data.
The Crime and Policing Act 2026 disapplies the criminal offences related to abortion from women acting in relation to their own pregnancies. However, it does not change the Abortion Act 1967, statutory reporting of abortions to the Chief Medical Officer, or the provision of lawful abortion services.
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