Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

The government's backtracking on at-home abortions is shameful – and will put women's lives at risk

Send your letters to letters@independent.co.uk

Tuesday 24 March 2020 12:27 GMT
Comments
Footballers feature in new coronavirus health advice video

Yesterday the Department for Health & Social Care published “in error” that women would be able to temporarily take prescribed early medical abortion (mifepristone and misoprostol) at home, due to the unprecedented coronavirus situation. Yet this period of home isolation and school closures will make it difficult for women to access abortion clinics, and make medical and contraceptive services less easily accessible. Enabling access to prescribed medical abortion during home isolation is vital for women, and should be considered a priority area of women’s healthcare in this public health emergency.

Dr Ben Kasstan​
Sussex

Silence, class

With the closing of many schools, teachers are now starting to deliver their lessons online using programs such as Skype. I am sure they are looking forward to being able to use a mute button.

Dennis Fitzgerald
Melbourne, Australia

Deputy prime minister

Dominic Raab is our acting PM, just in case. Just in case, presumably, the PM carelessly shook hands with any coronavirus patients in hospital, inadvisedly saw his mum on Mother’s Day, recklessly went to the pub with his dad, mingled closely with MPs in Westminster – all in contravention of his own advice.

Beryl Wall

London

Grow-your-own

There is talk of shortages of fresh vegetables, food rationing and closing all but essential shops. The last of these is an important measure which I hope will be implemented immediately. However, it needs to be argued in parliament that the term “essential“ includes outlets for the sale of vegetable seeds and plants.

I have doubled the size of my vegetable plot in the last few days by extending into a lawn and I hope to be fairly self-sufficient in fresh greens etc from about June onwards. This particular penny has not dropped properly with the public and maybe not within government. But it will, and it would be a great shame if valuable seeds and plants were not fully utilised.

Patrick Cosgrove
Shropshire

Key worker inconsistencies

The decision by the UK government to grant retail workers the status of key workers is just common sense. After all, food is rather essential.

However, why the difficulty in applying the decision in devolved parts of the UK? The public interest demands that key worker status for retail workers is applied UK-wide so that the whole is still able to eat.

John Barstow​
Pulborough, West Sussex

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in