Doctors and nurses from a clinic just beyond the NSW border are urging the state’s Parliament to decriminalise abortion. 

NSW remains the only jurisdiction in Australia where abortion is treated as a criminal offence, explicitly listed as a crime punishable with up to 10 years in prison. Women still need a certificate from a doctor declaring they believe the pregnancy presents a risk to the woman’s physical or mental health. 

As the parliament debates a new private members bill to change the law, five clinicians from Gateway Health based in Wodonga, Victoria, have written an open letter to every NSW MP describing the impact on women, some of whom are travelling up to 600km to visit their clinic in the search of access to legal termination. 

GP Dr Catherine Orr and GP registrar Dr Amanda Cohn work at the practice. They speak with Australian Doctor.