UK’s unregulated pregnancy scan clinics putting lives in danger, say experts

Hospital specialists report cases of missed health problems, misdiagnosed conditions, and women erroneously told their babies had died

Nicola Davis Science correspondent
Mon 3 Nov 2025

High street clinics offering pregnancy scans could be putting unborn babies and their mothers in danger through a lack of properly trained staff, UK experts have warned.

According to the Society for Radiographers (SoR), high street clinics have seen a huge growth in numbers. However, hospital specialists say they have seen cases of missed health problems, misdiagnosed conditions, and situations in which women were erroneously told their babies were malformed or had died.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/nov/03/uks-unregulated-pregnancy-scan-clinics-putting-lives-in-danger-say-experts

03.11.2025

News

Care Professions Council

Elaine Brooks

Katie Thompson

Society of Radiographers

Scottish Government accused of missing abortion care solutions target

Nov 3, 2025
Exclusive by Hannah Brown

The Scottish Government has been accused of missing a six-month target to deliver “much-needed” solutions to improve access to abortion care, prompting calls for a ministerial statement at Holyrood.

In May, Women’s Health Minister Jenni Minto pledged to “get the work done” within six months after being pressed on when health boards would be able to offer abortion care up to the 24-week legal limit.

Six-months have now passed with no new provision in place and no plan published, sparking renewed criticism from service providers.

https://archive.is/Q8CA4
(https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/25587974.scottish-government-accused-missing-abortion-care-solutions-target/)

03.11.2025

New campaign launched to decriminalise abortion in Scotland

Oct 29, 2025
By Lucy Jackson

CHARITIES and civic groups have launched a new campaign to modernise abortion law in Scotland. The "Lets Change the Act" campaign calls for the full decriminalisation of abortion in Scotland and the replacement of the Abortion Act 1967 with a modern, health-based framework.

The campaign is backed by more than 200 individual members and 30 organisations, including Amnesty Scotland, the Equality Network, the Scottish Trades Union Congress and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

Continued: https://www.thenational.scot/news/25579625.new-campaign-launched-decriminalise-abortion-scotland/

29.10.2025

News

Abortion Act 1967

Amnesty International Scotland

Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

Scottish Trade Union Congress

Court of Protection rules in favour of termination in ‘nuanced’ Mental Capacity Act case

Today's Wills and Probate
October 29, 2025

A nuanced approach to fluctuating mental capacity is important in Mental Capacity Act (MCA 2005) cases, highlighted in a recent Court of Protection judgement regarding the termination of a pregnancy.

In Re KP (Termination of Pregnancy) [2025] EWCOP 35, Mr Justice Poole was asked to determine whether KP, who was 17 weeks pregnant, had capacity to decide whether to continue or terminate her pregnancy and whether to consent to contraception. If not, the court had to decide what was in her best interests. In arriving at the decision to terminate the pregnancy, the case highlights the critical role of MCA 2005 and the Court of Protection.

Continued: https://todayswillsandprobate.co.uk/court-of-protection-rules-in-favour-of-termination-in-nuanced-mental-capacity-act-case/

29.10.2025

Court of Protection

Justice Poole

Mental Capacity Act

Re KP (Termination of Pregnancy) [2025] EWCOP 35

Europe

United Kingdom

Law

UK – Nigel Farage appoints right-wing anti-abortion theologian as Reform senior adviser

Professor James Orr is understood to be close to JD Vance and influential in Donald Trump’s administration with his right-wing views on abortion and immigration

David Maddox
Sunday 19 October

Reform has been accused of “importing divisive and dangerous ideas” from Maga politics in the US after a right-wing theologian who opposes abortion in all cases joined the party as Nigel Farage’s adviser.

Cambridge University professor James Orr, who heads the Centre for a Better Britain think tank, is an influential figure in Donald Trump’s administration and is admired by vice-president JD Vance.

Continued: https://www.the-independent.com/news/uk/politics/farage-james-orr-rightwing-theologian-reform-b2848126.html

19.10.2025

News

Centre for a Better Britain

SCOTLAND – Gillian Mackay slams JD Vance attacks on buffer zones bill

18th October
By Fiona Brown

GILLIAN Mackay has slammed US vice president JD Vance’s attacks on the abortion buffer zones bill.

… During her speech at the Scottish Greens conference on Saturday, party co-leader Mackay called out “anti-choice protesters” misrepresenting the bill, including Vance.

“You can imagine my reaction when I found out that it was also the Vice President of the United States,” Mackay said.

Continued: https://www.thenational.scot/news/25553346.gillian-mackay-slams-jd-vance-attacks-buffer-zones-bill/

18.10.2025

News

abortion buffer zones

UK – Meet the people helping homeless women access abortions: ‘It’s about giving them the choice’

There is vital work being carried out by abortion services to give vulnerable women, including those who are facing homelessness, access to choice

Isabella McRae
17 Oct 2025

Women experiencing homelessness in the UK face multiple barriers to accessing abortion services – which may cause delays in terminating a pregnancy or other complications.

There is vital work being carried out by abortion providers and other healthcare organisations, in partnership with homelessness charities, to ensure that these women have the right to choice and can access an abortion safely.

Continued: https://www.bigissue.com/news/social-justice/homeless-women-abortions/

17.10.2025

Commentary

Ailish McEntee

Alanah Cornelius

homeless women and abortion

MSI Reproductive Choices

Farage urged to explain anti-abortion links to meeting with Trump officials

Lib Dems accuse Reform leader of wanting to water down women’s rights after reports of help from advocacy group

Rowena Mason
Thu 16 Oct 2025

Nigel Farage has been urged to explain why a US anti-abortion advocacy group helped arrange a meeting in London with Trump administration officials and diplomats.

The meeting, first reported by the New York Times, took place in March between Farage and a delegation from Trump’s state department, which it said was overseen by the US embassy and brokered by the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) group. The meeting was said to have discussed abortion rights, free speech and online safety laws.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/oct/16/farage-urged-to-explain-anti-abortion-links-to-meeting-with-trump-officials

16.10.2025

News

Alliance Defending Freedom

Anti-abortion groups have received funds from the UK government and National Lottery

The Big Issue has been investigating crisis pregnancy centres in the UK, which have been known to misinform women around abortion. Taxpayer money has gone towards funding some of them

Isabella McRae
15 Oct 2025

Crisis pregnancy centres in the UK, some of which are known to have an anti-abortion agenda, have received funding from the government and National Lottery to continue their work.

Many crisis pregnancy centres are registered charities and some have received financial support from the National Lottery Community Fund and the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, as recently revealed by Amnesty International UK.

Continued: https://www.bigissue.com/news/social-justice/crisis-pregnancy-centres-anti-abortion-funding/

15.10.2025

Commentary

Amnesty International UK

Chiara Capraro

crisis pregnancy centres

National Lottery Community Fund

Pregnancy Centres Network

Europe

United Kingdom

Anti-choice

UK – What is the truth about crisis pregnancy centres? The anti-abortion facilities creeping across Britain

Many faith-based crisis pregnancy centres are believed to offer an 'ethical' service, but there are some which have been found to be 'misleading' women. It is becoming increasingly difficult to tell which as centres may 'hide their ideological aims'

Isabella McRae
14 Oct 2025

Crisis pregnancy centres, which have been known to “misinform” women around abortion, have become increasingly “professionalised” in the UK and are often unregulated, experts have warned.

These centres are commonly run by Christian groups and promise to offer “impartial” and “ethical” advice for free, but some have been found to be promoting “medically inaccurate” information with an anti-abortion agenda which risks leaving women “traumatised”.

Continued: https://www.bigissue.com/news/social-justice/abortion-uk-crisis-pregnancy-centres/