Quality standard

Quality statement 6: Support after an abortion

Quality statement 6: Support after an abortion

Quality statement

Women having an abortion are given advice on how to access care and support after the abortion.

Rationale

After an abortion some women may need support with physical or emotional issues. Women have individual preferences and needs for support after an abortion and they can sometimes find it difficult to get the support they need. Giving them advice about what to expect after the abortion and how to access care and support will help them get support if, and when, they need it.

Quality measures

Structure

a) Evidence of local arrangements to provide care and support to women after an abortion, including referral pathways to counselling or psychological interventions.

Data source: Local data collection, for example telephone helpline and service protocols, including referral pathways.

b) Evidence of local processes to ensure that women having an abortion are given advice on how to access care and support after the abortion, including how to get help out of hours.

Data source: Local data collection, for example service protocol and information sources such as a helpline number, leaflet or webpage.

Process

Proportion of women having an abortion who are given advice on how to access care and support after the abortion, including how to get help out of hours.

Numerator – the number in the denominator who are given advice on how to access care and support after the abortion, including how to get help out of hours.

Denominator – the number of women having an abortion.

Data source: Local data collection, for example audit of patient records and information leaflets.

Outcome

Proportion of women who had an abortion who agree they were able to access care and support after the abortion if they needed to.

Numerator – the number in the denominator who agree they were able to access care and support after the abortion if they needed to.

Denominator – the number of women who had an abortion.

Data source: Local data collection, for example survey of women who had an abortion.

What the quality statement means for different audiences

Service providers (such as NHS hospital trusts and independent abortion providers) ensure that they can provide assessment for physical symptoms and emotional support after an abortion, and provide advice to women about the care and support available locally. Service providers ensure that they can refer women for counselling or psychological interventions if requested.

Healthcare professionals (such as doctors, nurses and midwives) give advice to women on how to access care and support after the abortion, the support available locally and how to get help out of hours. Healthcare professionals carry out assessments for physical symptoms and emotional support after an abortion and refer women for counselling or psychological interventions if requested.

Commissioners (clinical commissioning groups) ensure that they commission abortion services that provide care and support to women after an abortion. Commissioners ensure that referral pathways are in place for women who have had an abortion to be able to access care and support, including counselling and psychological interventions, if needed.

Women having an abortion know how they can get care and support after the abortion if they need it, including how to get help out of hours.

Source guidance

Abortion care. NICE guideline NG140 (2019), recommendations 1.14.3 and 1.14.4

Definitions of terms used in this quality statement

Advice on how to access care and support after the abortion

Explain to women what to do if they have any problems after the abortion, including how to get help out of hours.

Explain that it is common to feel a range of emotions after the abortion. Advise women to seek support if they need it, and how to access it. This could include:

  • support from family and friends or pastoral support

  • emotional support from the abortion service provider

  • peer support, or support groups for women who have had an abortion

  • counselling or psychological interventions.

[NICE's guideline on abortion care, recommendations 1.14.3 to 1.14.5]

Equality and diversity considerations

Services that provide care and support after an abortion should make reasonable adjustments to ensure that women with additional needs such as physical, sensory or learning disabilities, and women who do not speak or read English or who have reduced communication skills, can use the service. Women should have access to an interpreter (including British Sign Language) or advocate if needed.