Women from Northern Ireland can now access abortion services free of charge through Scotland’s NHS.

Regulations laid in the Scottish Parliament last month to enable the provision of abortion services to women from Northern Ireland come into force today.

Work is also ongoing to assess what support can be given to address the barriers that may prevent some Northern Ireland women from accessing these services.

Scottish public health minister Aileen Campbell said: “Abortion can be an emotive subject however I am proud this government is working hard to ensure women are always able to access clinically safe services.

“That’s why we have taken action to ensure that women from Northern Ireland can freely access abortion services through NHS Scotland.

“I also recognise the barriers that women from Northern Ireland face when they have to travel to access abortion services which is why we are exploring what more we can do to address them.

“Once again this underlines Scotland’s commitment to ensuring we have a health service that puts patient care and dignity at its very heart.”