Form

Guidance note for completing the EMA1 abortion form

Updated 20 December 2022

Applies to England and Wales

Introduction

This guidance is intended to help doctors complete the EMA1 abortion form, or similar certificate, to record registered medical practitioners’ good faith opinion when either:

• the prescription for early medical abortion pills is signed at the registered medical practitioners’ usual place of residence in England or Wales
• the pills for early medical abortion are to be self-administered by the pregnant woman at her usual place of residence in England or Wales

Sample EMA1 forms can be downloaded from the DHSC abortion forms webpage on the GOV.UK website.

Completing form EMA1 (Certificate C)

Form EMA1 must be completed, signed and dated by the registered medical practitioner terminating the pregnancy before the medicine, or the first in a course of medicine, is supplied for use where any of the following conditions apply:

• the registered medical practitioner terminating the pregnancy prescribes the medicine from their home – home is defined as the registered medical practitioner’s usual place of residence in England or Wales
• one or both pills for early medical abortion are to be self-administered by the pregnant woman at her home – home is defined as the pregnant woman’s usual place of residence in England or Wales

The EMA1 form must be kept with the patient notes for 3 years from the date of prescription.

Registered medical practitioner terminating the pregnancy

The form must be completed by the registered medical practitioner terminating the pregnancy to certify their opinion, formed in good faith, that, if the medicine prescribed for the termination of the pregnancy is self-administered in accordance with their instructions, the pregnancy will not exceed 10 weeks at the time when the first pill (mifepristone) is taken.

Please ensure that the form contains the full name and address of the registered medical practitioner terminating the pregnancy.

Patient details

Please ensure that the section asking for patient details contains the full name and usual place of residence of the woman undergoing the termination.

Signature

Please ensure that the form is signed and dated by the registered medical practitioner recording their good faith opinion.

Alternative options for recording the registered medical practitioner’s good faith opinion

Form EMA1 is provided to assist registered medical practitioners in the recording of their good faith opinion as required by the Abortion Act. Use of the form is not mandatory. Where EMA1 is not used, the good faith opinion of the registered medical practitioner terminating the pregnancy must still be recorded and the opinion signed and dated. The opinion should include all of the following information:

• the full name and address of the registered medical practitioner
• the full name and address of the pregnant woman
• that the registered medical practitioner is of the opinion, formed in good faith, that if the medicine prescribed for the termination of the pregnancy is administered in accordance with their instructions the pregnancy will not exceed 10 weeks at the time when the medicine is administered or the first medicine in the course is administered

Retention

Please note, these forms should not be forwarded to the Chief Medical Officer. It is a legal requirement for the clinic to keep these forms for 3 years from the date of the prescription.

Notes for certifying registered medical practitioners

Certifying registered medical practitioners are expected to have enough evidence to justify that they were able to form a good faith opinion that, if the medicine prescribed for the termination of the pregnancy is administered in accordance with their instructions, the pregnancy will not exceed 10 weeks at the time when the first early medical abortion pill is taken.

If there is evidence that a certifying registered medical practitioner has not formed an opinion in good faith, then those performing the termination are not protected by the act and may have potentially committed a criminal offence by terminating the pregnancy.

Failure to meet the certification requirements may be a breach of the Abortion Regulations.