This page refers to Northern Ireland only. If you are from Republic of Ireland, visit our Travelling from the Republic of Ireland page.
Abortion services are available in Northern Ireland. These services are not delivered by BPAS but by Health and Social Care Trusts. BPAS provides the booking service for abortion care in Northern Ireland.
Surgical abortion is available in Northern Ireland for pregnancies up to 21 weeks + 6 days on the day of surgery. If your pregnancy is more than 21 weeks + 6 days, you can access free abortion care in Great Britain supported by your local trust.
In order to refer you to the local abortion service in Northern Ireland we are required to share some of your data with your local Trust service. Completing a booking request either online or with the booking centre means you consent to us sharing your data.
Once you have submitted your booking request you will receive a call from your Trust provider, usually within 5 working days of your appointment request, often it will be sooner. You also need to be aware that some Trusts will use a “Withheld” number to contact you, so please look out for that. If you cannot be reached by the Trust they will call you on several occasions. If you've not heard within 5 working days, please call the BPAS booking centre on 03457 30 40 30.
Book a consultation
Click here to book a consultation in Northern Ireland. The booking advisor will ask you for the following information.
- First name
- Surname
- Date of birth
- Ethnicity
- Email address
- Phone number, is it OK to leave a voicemail on this phone number?
- Do you need an interpreter / translator for your appointment?
If you are not sure about your decision to proceed with abortion treatment you can book some pre-consultation counselling. You can refer yourself to:
- Common Youth (24 and under) or
- Informing Choices NI or
- BPAS - please let the booking advisor know you would like to have some additional pre-treatment counselling.
Your treatment is not dependent on you receiving counselling.
Medical Questions
Date of the first day of your last period
Your Address Details
- Street
- Address
- Town or City
- Postcode
GP practice name and postcode.
You will receive a call for consultation within 5 working days (Mon-Fri) or earlier, from your booking call. Note that the HSC Trust staff will access your electronic care record (NIECR) but not add any information to it.
Pregnancy more than 21 weeks + 6 days
If the gestation of your pregnancy is more than 21 weeks + 6 days, you can access free abortion care in Great Britain. To make a booking, please call the BPAS booking centre on 03457 30 40 30.
You will be offered the most appropriate appointment based on your needs.
To qualify for free abortion care you must:
- reside in Northern Ireland (with a BT postcode), and
- be registered with a Northern Ireland GP (with a BT postcode).
You must supply the above detail to receive funded treatment (we will not contact your GP unless you say we can).
The travel expenses of abortion care patients who are accessing care in Great Britain will be paid for.
Depending on clinical need, the following expenses may be met also:
- your overnight accommodation
- the travel and overnight accommodation of a companion.
Useful links:
- NI Direct Abortion Services – Latest NI abortion guidance
- Nexus NI - Northern Ireland's 24 hour Domestic and Sexual Abuse helpline for male and female victims survivors, worried friends, family and professionals
- Common Youth – Provides free, confidential sexual health and wellbeing services to 24's and under in Northern Ireland
- Informing Choices NI – Northern Ireland sexual and reproductive health charity
- Belfast Health And Social Care Trust– Abortion service information for Belfast Trust
- Northern Health and Social Care Trust - Abortion service information for Belfast Trust
- Southern Health and Social Care Trust- Abortion service information for Southern Trust
- South East Health and Social Care Trust - Abortion service information for South Eastern Trust
- Western Health and Social Care Trust – Abortion service information for Western Trust
NHS funded and commissioned abortion services are available across Northern Ireland and can be booked by calling BPAS on 03457 30 40 30. The type of service available will depend on your gestation (how many weeks pregnant you are).
To access NHS abortion services at any gestation in Northern Ireland you will need to attend an abortion service in person. This is because the Abortion Regulations, which govern how healthcare professionals can provide abortion services within Northern Ireland, do not allow BPAS or your local health trust to provide abortion pills in the post.
BPAS is aware that some women in Northern Ireland consider obtaining Early Medical Abortion (EMA) medication outside formal healthcare services. The World Health Organization has said that EMA medication taken in the first trimester is safe, even when taken outside a clinical setting. Similarly, these pills are currently provided in the post in the rest of the UK.
There are, however, risks associated with buying EMA medication online from unreliable sources - they may not arrive, or may not be a genuine product. Both Women on Web and Women Help Women provide genuine EMA medication, advice, and support to women around the world, including in Northern Ireland.