NHS funding cuts are blamed as abortion rates rise in over-30’s
Family Planning Association blame 18 per cent increase to lack of funding and availability to family planning services
A RISE in abortions among women over 30 was last night blamed on NHS cuts.
Rates for those aged 30 to 34 soared from 14.5 per 1,000 women in 2005 to 17.1 in 2015 — an 18 per cent rise.
Women aged 35-plus saw a 15 per cent increase, health department figures show.
British Pregnancy Advisory Service chiefs say family planning services have been cut and access to services restricted to some age groups.
Many struggle to get a GP’s appointment within the time in which emergency contraception works.
Free access to it from chemists is only available to those aged under 20 or 25 in some areas, with older women charged an “extortionate” £28.
BPAS said increased awareness of age-related fertility problems had led many to underestimate their chances of getting pregnant — and accidentally conceiving.
The Family Planning Association blamed the rise in abortions on family planning budget cuts.
Abortion rates rose among those in a relationship or with children. Rates fell for under-30s.