§ 93. (P) Mr. AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what information she has on the rate of physical complications arising following an abortion after the specified period for the notification of the abortion to her Department.
§ Mr. SackvilleThis information is not collected centrally. For information about the short and long-term sequelae of abortion I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave him on 25 January at column536. Other information is given in two published studies; the joint study of the Royal College of General Practitioners and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists entitled "Induced abortion operations and their early sequelae." Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners 1979; 135: 175–180; and Saha A, Savage W and George J. "The Tower Hamlets Daycare Abortion Service Study", October 1992: 49–56. Copies of both papers are available in the Library.
§ 94. (P) Mr. AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what information she has regarding the percentage of cases in which a blood transfusion is required following an abortion.
§ Mr. SackvilleThe information is not collected centrally.
§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 25 January,Official Report, column 536, what specific procedures are required to be undertaken prior to an abortion to bring to the attention of the woman (a) the nature and risks of the operation and alternative treatments and (b) the way in which the operation affects the foetus.
§ Mr. SackvilleIt is normal clinical practice to inform a patient about the risks of any operation and possible 71W alternative courses of action. If a woman wishes to have information concerning the foetus we would expect whatever information is appropriate to be provided. The abortion counselling guidance in the Department's circular HC(77)26 is extant.