BRITAIN'S biggest abortion provider is axing fees and providing refunds to women from Northern Ireland following a spike in calls about when the Westminister scheme on free terminations on the NHS will begin.
The British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) said they are concerned women from the north are delaying travelling to England for abortions as they wait for the roll-out of the pledge made last week in relation to the introduction of NHS-funded terminations.
Anti-abortion groups including Precious Life have condemned the British government concession, branding it as an "outrageous attack on democracy".
But a senior BPAS director said they had considered the matter over the weekend following a rising number of calls from women in the north worried about fees, which can range from £200 to £1,400.
The organisation, which is a charity, runs 50 clinics across the NHS.
"Women from Northern Ireland already present slightly later because of the difficulties and uncertainties they face...especially in the cases where a diagnosis of fatal foetal abnormality has been made,"said Clare Murphy, director of external affairs.
"We are meeting with government ministers later this week as details of the new scheme have yet to be put forward.
"Women who have been treated by us since Friday will have their fees refunded while we will no longer charge for future consultations and abortions."
Ms Murphy said they had noticed a significant increase in the number of women using their services who had received a diagnosis where their baby had little or no chance of survival outside the womb.
In 2013, the north's abortion guidelines were tightened by the Department of Health.
Due to the rising number of cases, the charity has now introduced new support measures for those affected.
"The needs of these women are slightly different and we have now got a specific pathway in place for FFA where women can receive a handprint or the baby can be washed and dressed and they can hold them.
"One of the big problems for these women is that they would prefer a bit more time to think about what they are going to do after receiving such a devastating diagnosis."
Latest figures show the number of women from Northern Ireland travelling to Britain for abortions has dropped by 13 per cent in one year - with health chiefs claiming online abortion pills have led to the decrease.
A total of 724 women travelled to clinics in England and Wales for terminations last year, with the vast majority of procedures taking place in the early stages of pregnancy.
Ms Murphy said they had introduced a helpline for women who had used online abortion pills but were afraid to report complications for fear of prosecutions.
"Due to a number of prosecutions in Northern Ireland, we were concerned that women may not seek medical advice and may be putting themselves at risk."
