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AMA (NSW) is urging the NSW government to adequately resource abortion services at public hospitals to ensure women have equitable access across the state.
“Staffing and infrastructure is essential to ensuring hospitals can provide medical abortion procedures,” said AMA (NSW) Vice President, Dr Kathryn Austin.
“It’s been four years since abortion was decriminalised in NSW – that is more than enough time to ensure hospitals are sufficiently funded and staffed to offer these services.
“Your postcode shouldn’t determine your ability to attain an abortion. All people should have access to legal and safe abortion and counselling services, and not limited by age, socioeconomic disadvantage, or geographical location,” Dr Austin said.
The AMA’s submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs inquiry into universal access to reproductive healthcare calls for equity of access across Australia to appropriate abortion services, which involve a multidisciplinary team under the leadership of a doctor.
“NSW Health has a responsibility to provide abortion services, particularly in regional areas where private GPs or clinics that offer such services are not available,” Dr Austin said.
Population studies have found that the non-availability of abortion services has been shown to increase maternal morbidity and mortality.
“Unwanted pregnancies can have significant health, social and financial costs and the AMA supports measures to reduce unwanted pregnancies, as well as the availability of affordable and effective contraception,” Dr Austin said.
AMA (NSW) has called on NSW to address the significant workforce shortages in public hospitals in its Election Priorities document, NSW Hospitals Advanced Life Support Needed.
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