London, England, Mar 31, 2020 / 13:01 pm
The British government's plans to allow women to have early abortions at home without medical supervision during the coronavirus crisis will "further endanger women", a bishop has said.
Bishop John Sherrington said he was "shocked" by the move, which the government had first announced, then quickly rescinded, before introducing once again.
Bishop Sherrington, the English and Welsh bishops' spokesman on life issues, said: "We understand why the government wishes to keep women away from hospital at this time but are shocked to hear that the Secretary of State for Health plans to introduce temporary measures to allow telemedicine and early DIY abortion at home without any medical supervision present."
He continued: "These measures fundamentally change access to abortion in England and Wales for the foreseeable future. Whilst these are emergency times, these measures further endanger women who, for example, are rushed into decisions by abusive partners and act without any proper consultation."