§ Mrs Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women have died in each of the last 10 years as a direct result of unsafe abortions; and what steps the Government is taking to reduce the number of deaths caused by unsafe abortions. [128401]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonMaternal deaths associated with termination of pregnancy that were reported to the Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths for the period 1991 to 1999, are shown in the table. The data for 2000 to 2002 are not yet available.
The Abortion Act 1967 requires a pregnancy to be terminated by a registered medical practitioner. The General Medical Council's (GMC) Duties of a doctor include making the care of the patient the first concern, keeping professional knowledge and skills up to date and recognising the limits of professional competence. Where there is evidence that a doctor is not fit to practise, the GMC is able to suspend or erase a doctor from the register or place conditions on their registration, As part of each hospital's clinical governance framework, all adverse events, including deaths, are investigated and lessons learned, and any appropriate action taken. In addition, the Commission for Health Improvement and the National Care Standards Commission monitor patient care in the National Health Service and independent sector respectively.
Maternal deaths associated with termination of pregnancy; United Kingdom 1991–99 Triennium Number of deaths from termination of preganancy1 Number of these asssociated with substandard care1 1997–99 2 0 1994–96 1 1 1991–93 5 3 1Figures are from the reports of the Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths in the United Kingdom for the relevant triennium.
Notes:
1. From 1991–93 these deaths were defined as occurring before 20 weeks of pregnancy. From 1994, 24 weeks was used as the upper gestational limit. Thus comparisons of the data between triennia may be inappropriate.
2. There were around 500,000 abortions in the United Kingdom in each three-year period and hence the number of deaths represents less than 0.0001 per cent, of all abortions carried out.