HC Deb 26 October 1987 vol 121 cc166-74W
Mr. Alton

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the names, addresses, directors or licensees of each private abortion clinic or agency operating in Britain, together with the number of beds available in each.

Mr. Newton

Places in England approved under the Abortion Act, the proprietors and numbers of approved beds are shown in the table. Details about directors, like any other commercial information, is supplied to the Department on an "in confidence" basis.

Information about premises in Scotland and Wales is a matter for my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

Approved Places Approved beds Name of Proprietor
Acland Nuffield Hospital, Banbury Road, Oxford 2 Nuffield Nursing Homes Trust
Alexandra Hospital, Mill Lane, Cheadle, Cheshire 1 AMI Health Services Limited
Alexandra Hospital, Impton Lane, Waldcrslade, Kent 6 NME Hospitals (UK) Limited
Avenue Clinic, 14 New Church Road, Hove, Sussex 6 Avenue Clinic Limited
Bath Clinic Claverton Down Road, Combe Down 5 Bath Private Hospital Limited
Beechwood Private Clinic, Norton Church Road, Norton, Sheffield 20 Beechwood Private Clinic Limited
Belvedere Nursing Home, Belvedere Road, Scarborough 3 Belvedere Nursing Home Limited
Blackdown Nursing Home, Old Milverton Lane, Blackdown, Leamington Spa 33 British Pregnancy Advisory Service
Blackheath Hospital 40–42 Lee Terrace, London SE3 2 AMI Health ' Services Limited

Approved Places Approved beds Name of Proprietor
Bromhead Nursing Home, Nettleham Road, Lincoln 1 Bromhead Nursing Home Trust Limited
BUPA Hospital, Heathbourne Road, Bushey, Watford, Herts 4 BUPA Hospitals Limited
BUPA Murrayfield Hospital, Holmwood Drive, Thingwall, Wirral, Merseyside 4 BUPA Hospitals Limited
BUPA Hospital, Old Watton Road, Colney, Norwich 4 BUPA Hospitals Limited
Calthorpe Nursing Home 4 Arthur Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham 24 Calthorpe Nursing Home Limited
Chalybeate Hospital, Chalybeate Close, Tremona Road, Southampton, Hants 5 HCA UK Limited
Chatsworth Clinic, 76–78 Park Road, New Barnet, Herts. EN4 9QT 1 Chatsworth Clinic Ltd.
Chaucer Hospital, Nackington Road, Canterbury, Kent 2 AMI Health Services Limited
Chesterfield Nuffield Hospital, Clifton Hill, Bristol 5 Nuffield Nursing Homes Trust
Clare Park Clinic, Clare Park, Crondall Lane, Crondall, Farnham Surrey 2 HCA UK Limited
Cleveland Nuffield Hospital, Junction Road, Norton, Stockton-on-Tees 2 Nuffield Nursing Homes Trust
Cotswold Nuffield Hospital, Talbot Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire 2 Nuffield Nursing Homes Trust
Danum Lodge Nursing Home, 123 Thorne Road, Doncaster 24 British Pregnancy Advisory Service
Dean Park Nursing Home, 23–25 Ophir Road, Bournemouth, Dorset 26 British Pregnancy Advisory Service
Duchy Hospital, Penventinnie Lane, Treliske, Truro 5 The Cornwall Independent Hospitals Trust Limited

Approved Places Approved beds Name of Proprietor
Duchy House Nuffield Hospital, Queen's Road, Harrogate 2 Nuffield Nursing Homes Trust
Evelyn Hospital, Trumpington Road, Cambridge 4 Committee of Management of Hospital
Exeter Nuffield Hospital, Wonford Road, Exeter 2 Nuffield Nursing Homes Trust
Fairfield Nursing Home, 68 Russell Road, Buckhurst Hill, Essex 29 Fairfield Nursing Home Limited
Falloden Private Nursing Home, 4 Allerton Park, Leeds 21 Leeds Private Hospital Limited
Fitzwilliam Hospital, Milton Way, South Bretton, Peterborough 4 Fitzwilliam Hospital Limited
Foscote Private Hospital, Foscote Road, Banbury 2 Foscote Court (Banbury) Trust Limited
Fulford Grange Hospital, Micklefield Lane, Rawdon, Leeds 2 Fulford Grange Hospital Limited
Garden Hospital, 46–50 Sunny Gardens Road, Hendon, London NW4 3 Health Care Services PLC
Hampshire Clinic, Basing Road, Basingstoke, Hants 2 Basingstoke Private Hospital Limited
Highfield Private Hospital, Manchester Road, Rochdale 3 Highfield Private Nursing Home Limited and Rochdale Surgical Unit Limited
HRH Princess Christian's Hospital, 12 Clarence Road, Windsor, Berks 5 Trustees of Hospital
Hull Nuffield Hospital, Westbourne Avenue, Hull 2 Nuffield Nursing Homes Trust
Ipswich Surgical Nursing Home, 57 Fonnereau Road, Ipswich, Suffolk 2 Ipswich Surgical Home Association (Guarantee) Limited
King Edward VII Hospital, Midhurst, West Sussex 5 Trustees of Hospital
Leicester Nuffield Hospital, Scraptoft Lane, Leicester 2 Nuffield Nursing Homes Trust
Leigham Private Clinic, 76 Leigham Court Road, London SW16 29 Liegham Private Clinic Limited (Railford Limited)

Approved Places Approved beds Name of Proprietor
Marie Stopes Nursing Home, 10 Manstone Road, London NW2 13 Population Services Family Planning Programmes Limited
Merseyside Nursing Home, 32 Parkfield Road, Liverpool 30 British Pregnancy Advisory Service
Newcastle Nuffield Hospital, Osborne Avenue, Jesmond, Newscastle-upon-Tyne 2 Nuffield Nursing Homes Trust
New Hall Hospital, Bodenham, Salisbury, Wiltshire 4 Salisbury Independent Hospital and Medical Services Limited
New Victoria Hospital, 184 Coombe Lane West, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey 2 Trustees of Hospital
Park Hospital, Sherwood Lodge Drive, Arnold, Nottingham 6 Nottingham Private Consultants Limited
Parkfield Private Hospital, Parkfield Road, Rotherham, South Yorkshire 4 Mr. A. R. Mead
Parkview Clinic, 87 Mattock Lane, Ealing, London W5 30 Shawline Medical Developments Limited
Plymouth Nuffied Hospital, Derriford Road, Derriford, Plymouth 2 Nuffied Nursing Homes Trust
The Portland Hospital for Women and Children, 209 Great Portland Street, London WI 4 London Childrens and Womens Hospital Limited
Raleigh Nursing Home, 1A Raleigh Gardens, Brixton Hill, London SW2 19 Population Services Family Planning Programmes Limited
Robert Nursing Home, 162 Station Road, Kings Norton, Birmingham 14 Robert Nursing Home Limited
Rosslyn Nursing Home, 15–17 Rosslyn Road, East Twickenham, Middlesex 37 Pregnancy Advisory Services Limited
Royal Masonic Hospital, Ravenscourt Park, London W6 OTN 4 Committee of Hospital
Salop Nuffield Hospital, Longden Road, Shrewsbury SY3 9DP 2 Nuffield Nursing Homes Trust
Sarum Road Private Nursing Home, Sarum Road, Winchester, Hampshire 4 Bedrose Properties Limited
Somerset Nuffield Hospital, Staplegrove Elm, Taunton, Somerset 2 Nuffield Nursing Homes Trust

Approved Places Approved beds Name of Proprietor
South Bank Hospital, 139 Bath Road, Worcester 2 HCA UK Limited
South Manchester Private Clinic, 136 Chester Road, Hazel Grove, Stockport 21 Dalreagh Private Nursing Home Limited
St. Wilfrid's Nursing Home, 51 Bawtry Road, Bessacarr, Doncaster 2 D. S. Nursing Homes (Doncaster) Limited
Thames Valley Nuffield Hospital, Wexham Street, Slough 2 Nuffield Nursing Homes Trust
Victoria House Nursing Home, Victoria Street, Rochester, Kent 6 Dr. H. Elman JP
Wellesley Hospital, Eastern Avenue, Southend-on-Sea 2 Wellesley Hospital Limited
Wessex Nuffield Hospital, Winchester Road, Chandlers Ford, Eastleigh, Hants. 2 Nuffield Nursing Homes Trust
West Sussex Clinic, 48 Shelley Road, Worthing 2 G. M. Health Care Limited
Winterbourne Hospital, Herringston Road, Dorchester, Dorset 4 Winterbourne Hospital Limited
Wistons Nursing Home, 138 Dyke Road, Brighton 51 British Pregnancy Advisory Service
Working Nuffield Hospital, Shores Road, Woking 2 Nuffield Nursing Homes Tiust
Wye Valley Nuffield Hospital, Venns Lane, Hereford 2 Nuffield Nursing Homes Trust
Yorkshire Clinic, Bradford Road, Bingley, West Yorkshire 2 West Yorkshire Independent Hospital PLC

Mr. Nicholas Winterton

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will now update the evidence which his Department supplied to the 1976 Select Committee on Abortion concerning the financial links between doctors and agencies who refer women for abortions and the clinics in which such abortions are performed by approaching the agencies concerned and asking that the normal commercial confidentiality be waived in this instance.

Mr. Newton

We see no need to do so. My hon. Friend is free to approach the agencies for this information if he wishes.

Mr. Nicholas Winterton

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what specific steps have been taken by his Department to monitor the occurrence and treatment of post-abortion stress disorder;

(2) whether he will introduce a system of notification so that his Department is kept informed of the incidence of post-abortion stress disorder and other abortion-related conditions.

Mr. Newton

The Department has funded since 1976 a long-term study by Manchester research unit of the Royal College of General Practitioners on attitudes to pregnancy. This unit is preparing a paper about psychiatric morbidity experienced by women having abortion treatment.

Mr. Nicholas Winterton

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has any plans to alter the conditions governing the financial links between doctors and agencies who refer women for abortions and the clinics in which such abortions are performed.

Mr. Newton

We have no plans to do so.

Mr. Nicholas Winterton

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what percentage of abortions performed in the last year for which figures are available upon non-resident women in England and Wales were performed in non-National Health Service facilities or in pay beds in National Health Service hospitals.

Mr. Newton

In 1986, 24,589 (99.7 per cent.) of abortions to non-resident women were performed in non-National Health Service facilities. Figures are not available centrally to show how many of the remaining 78 (0.3 per cent.) abortions which were performed in NHS hospitals were done in private beds.

Mr. Nicholas Winterton

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what information his Department requires licensed abortion clinics to keep on the after-care which is provided for non-resident women who have abortions in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Newton

Information is not recorded on the aftercare provided to non-resident patients, but they are provided with an information sheet and a discharge letter to their own doctor, usually in their own language.

Mr. Nicholas Winterton

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what percentage of abortions performed at 18 weeks or more gestation in England and Wales in the latest year for which figures are available were performed because the child was likely to be born handicapped.

Mr. Newton

In 1986 there were 8,276 notifications of abortions which took place with a gestation period of 18 weeks or more. Of these, 648 contained a mention of ground 4 of the 1967 Abortion Act, which states,there is a substantial risk that if the child was born it would suffer from such physical or mental abnormalities as to be seriously handicapped".

This represents a percentage of all abortion notifications of 7.8.

Mr. Nicholas Winterton

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) why his Department does not make available information concerning the numbers of abortions which are performed in pay beds in National Health Service facilities;

(2) what would be the cost of collecting and publishing information on a regular basis concerning the numbers of abortions which are performed in pay beds in National Health Service facilities;

(3) whether his Department will arrange for the collection and publication of information concerning the number of abortions which are performed in pay beds in National Health Service facilities if the cost of such an exercise is met by the private sector.

Mr. Newton

A special analysis of a 10 per cent. sample of in-patient records has shown that in 1985 there were an estimated 560 abortions, including spontaneous abortions, in private beds in NHS hospitals in England. This compares with the total of 65,254 legal abortions done in NHS hospitals in that year. We see no reason to collect and publish this information on a regular basis.

Mr. Nicholas Winterton

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many of the abortion counselling agencies of which his Department is aware currently have any financial link with abortion clinics.

Mr. Newton

Eight.

Mr. Nicholas Winterton

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services in how many cases of which he is aware any individual is both a director or trustee of a company or charity providing abortion counselling and also of a clinic providing abortions.

Mr. Newton

The Department's records show that there are 32 such individuals.

Mr. Nicholas Winterton

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps are taken by his Department to ensure that the administrative condition that financial arrangements between abortion agencies and clinics are reported is fulfilled.

Mr. Newton

All nursing homes are required to give an assurance to the Secretary of State that they will notify any changes to existing financial arrangements between the nursing home and any medical practitioner, pregnancy advice bureau or referral agency and to report, as soon as it is made, any new arrangement. Pregnancy advice bureaux also are required to identify financial links with other businesses. These requirements are drawn to the attention of administrators of premises when the first visit of inspection is made. Checks continue to be made on subsequent visits and company searches are carried out as necessary. Proprietors and administrators are well aware that failure to comply with an assurance could constitute grounds for withdrawal of registration of bureaux or approval of nursing homes.

Mr. Nicholas Winterton

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services in how many cases an individual doctor who performs abortions at any clinic is also a director or trustee of a company or charity which provides an abortion counselling service.

Mr. Newton

We know of no such cases.

Mr. Nicholas Winterton

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will confirm that the present administrative condition relating to financial links in the abortion industry permits a doctor working on a salaried or retainer basis at an abortion agency to perform abortions upon the women whom he has referred for abortions elsewhere.

Mr. Newton

It is not a requirement that a doctor working on a salaried or retainer basis at a bureau should not also perform abortions on these patients in a nursing home/clinic. It is, however, a requirement that doctors employed on a per capita basis should not also operate upon the women whom they see at the bureau.

Mr. Alton

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many abortions were done privately on National Health Services premises at 18 weeks and over in the last year for which figures are available; and what were the statutory grounds on which the abortions were performed.

Mr. Newton

I regret that the information requested is not available: the abortion notification form does not seek information about the private or other status of patients in NHS hospitals.

Mr. Nicholas Winterton

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many abortions performed at 18 weeks or more gestation in England and Wales in the latest year for which figures are available were performed (a) in emergency to save the life of the mother and (b) in cases of rape.

Mr. Newton

Information on abortion notifications mentioning ground 5 of the Abortion Act 1967 (which allows abortions in emergency to save the life of the pregnant woman) by details of gestation weeks for individual years cannot be released for reasons of confidentiality. However, in the five years 1982–86 there were 26 such notifications, of which 13 were performed at 18 weeks or more gestation.

Prior to 1987 it is not possible to identify reliably all those notifications of abortion which mention rape. Arrangements are being made in order to provide this for current and future abortions.

Mr. Nicholas Winterton

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what discussions his Department has had with the health services of other countries in the European Economic Community in order to ensure that after-care is available for non-resident women who travel to the United Kingdom for abortions.

Mr. Newton

None. The after care of non-resident abortion patients is a matter for the doctors and medical institutions involved in any individual case.

Mr. Nicholas Winterton

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the average cost of a National Health Service abortion performed at (a) under 12 weeks, (b) under 18 weeks, (c) 18 weeks or more and (d) 20 weeks or more.

Mr. Newton

The estimated revenue cost of an abortion in National Health Service hospitals is £170. Information on the average cost at different gestations is not available centrally.

Mr. Nicholas Winterton

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what information his Department collects concerning the fees charged by abortion agencies.

Mr. Newton

The Department approves the level of fees in the case of pregnancy advice bureaux and nursing homes with more than six beds approved for use for abortion cases, or with more than 25 per cent. of its total beds so approved.

Mr. Nicholas Winterton

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the source of the evidence available to him to support the claim that a high percentage of pregnant women who go to pregnancy advice bureaux do proceed to have an abortion.

Mr. Newton

Pregnancy advice bureaux are required to maintain registers which show, inter alia, whether or not women are referred for abortion. These registers are inspected by the Department's investigative officers in the course of their inspection visits.

Mr. Nicholas Winterton

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what percentage of abortions performed in England and Wales in the latest year for which figures are available on pregnancies of 18 weeks or more was performed upon single women.

Mr. Newton

The information is shown in the table.

Single women as a percentage of all abortions,18–28 weeks gestation, residents and non-residents, England and Wales 1986
Number
All abortions 8,276
Single women 6,123
Percentage 74

Mr. Nicholas Winterton

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what percentage of abortions performed in England and Wales in the latest year for which figures are available on pregnancies of 18 weeks or more was performed on women with (a) no previous children, (b) one previous child, (c) two previous children, (d) three previous children, (e) four previous children, (f) five previous children and (g) six previous children.

Mr. Newton

The information is not available in precisely the form requested; the available information for 1986 is shown in the table.

Number of notifications of abortions at 18 weeks or more gestation by parity, England and Wales, 1986
Number of previous children Number of notifications of abortions Percentage
All abortions 8,276 100
0 5,770 69.7
1 1,181 14.3
2 696 8.4
3 352 4.2
4 157 1.9
5 and over 70 0.8
Unknown 50 0.6

Mr. Nicholas Bennett

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list by each English district health authority area the number of abortions undertaken in each year since 1967.

Mr. Newton

Information on abortions by district health authority of termination is not released for reasons of confidentiality. Tables showing data by district health authority of usual residence for 1983–86 are available in the OPCS annual Series AB, "Abortion Statistics"; for 1975–82, the same series gives data for health districts; for 1974, data are available only for regional health authorities. The years 1968–73 are covered for hospital regions in the Registrar General's "Supplement on Abortion" for the annual "Statistical Review of England and Wales". These publications are available in the Library.

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