Guidance

Abortion statistics user engagement plan

Published 23 September 2026

Applies to England and Wales

Introduction

The Abortion statistics for England and Wales reports numbers and rates of abortions in England and Wales. In line with the Code of Practice for Statistics, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is committed to ensure that statistics are trustworthy, high quality and genuinely meet public needs.

We recognise that abortion statistics for England and Wales should reflect the needs of the people who use them. To ensure the statistics remain relevant, useful and accessible, we are committed to listening to users and understanding how the statistics are used.

This user engagement plan explains how we will gather and respond to feedback from users and stakeholders from now on. The feedback we receive will help shape future developments to the statistics and improve our understanding of what information users need. We will also be transparent about how user views are considered when making decisions about the publication.

Context

Since 2023 there have been delays to the publication of abortion statistics. This was due to several operational issues which created a backlog of data that still requires processing and quality assurance. In response to this, some work had to be deprioritised including on user engagement.

This work reflects our wider commitment to working with and continuously improving the value and relevance of abortion statistics for England and Wales. It also aligns with recommendations from the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR), following their compliance review in April 2026.

Commitment to users

We value the views of our users and recognise the importance of understanding how our statistics are used. We are committed to:

• publishing abortion statistics as soon as data is of sufficient quality
• keeping users informed on changes including to data sources, collection methods, methodology and presentation
• providing additional documentation to help users understand the statistics, including information on data quality, methodology and context
• gathering feedback though the email inbox abortion.statistics@dhsc.gov.uk

We will meet our user needs by:

• engaging with users and listening to feedback
• considering opportunities to improve our statistical outputs
• communicating openly about what we can and cannot provide
• ensuring that our decisions are informed by user needs and available evidence, as well as practical considerations such as resources

Who our users are

It is important to understand who our users are, how they use our statistics and what questions they are trying to answer so that our statistics continue to meet user needs and provide public value.

Users of abortion statistics come from a diverse range of backgrounds and access our statistics in different ways. Some users are interested in headline trends and significant findings. Others need detailed data to support research, policy development, service planning, monitoring or academic analysis.

Internal users

Our statistics are used internally across DHSC to:

• support policy development
• monitor trends in abortion services
• respond to Parliamentary and ministerial requests
• inform decisions relating to sexual and reproductive health

Our internal users include:

• DHSC abortion policy team who use the statistics to inform, monitor trends and support decision-making
• Abortion Notification System (ANS) team who support data collection and operational processes
• chief medical officer (CMO) and senior leaders who use the statistics to support understanding of abortion trends
• ministers, Private Office and communications colleagues who use the statistics for Parliamentary business, media handling, public communications and briefing purposes

External users

Our external users include:

• government departments, such as the Office for National Statistics (ONS), and other health organisations including NHS England and UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), who use the statistics within the wider health and statistical system
• users of public health data platforms, including Fingertips, which incorporates abortion statistics into wider public health intelligence products
• comparable sensitive statistics producers, including devolved government teams producing abortion statistics
• academics and researchers who use the statistics for research, analysis and evidence generation
• Parliamentary correspondence and information request users, including those submitting Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, Parliamentary questions (PQs) and public enquiries
• abortion service providers, local authorities and NHS and public health users who use the statistics to understand service demand and support local planning
• media users, including health and data journalists who report on trends and developments
• charities, representative bodies and advocacy organisations with an interest in abortion and reproductive health
• technical users, including analysts and data specialists who use published tables and datasets for further analysis
• members of the public who access the statistics through GOV.UK publication pages

Understanding our users’ needs

Understanding how our statistics are used helps us maximise their public value and ensure they remain relevant, accessible and useful.

As highlighted during the OSR compliance review, understanding and documenting user needs is an important part of ensuring the continuing relevance of our statistics. Through this engagement plan, we aim to strengthen our evidence base of user needs and use this evidence to inform the development and distribution of abortion statistics.

We will gather information on users and their our needs through a range of activities, including:

• meetings and discussions with policy officers, service providers, health organisations and statistical producers
• feedback received through publication channels, correspondence and user engagement exercises
• FOI requests, PQs, ministerial briefings and public enquiries
• collaboration with other government statistical producers in this area, including ONS (conception statistics) and devolved governments
• getting feedback from academics, researchers and organisations that use abortion statistics for analysis and research

We will also monitor how our statistics are used by:

• reviewing web analytics and publication usage data
• tracking enquiries and requests for information
• monitoring references to the statistics in research, policy documents, Parliamentary material and media reporting
• identifying recurring requests for information or analysis

Where appropriate, we will use feedback to inform improvements to our statistical outputs, supporting materials and distribution methods. We will also be transparent about decisions relating to statistical developments, including where data, methodological or resource constraints affect our ability to meet specific user requests.

By maintaining regular engagement with users and reviewing evidence of use, we will continue to improve our understanding of user needs and ensure that abortion statistics remain relevant, trusted and valuable to those who rely on them.

Improving how we engage with our users

In the short term we intend to:

• develop and implement this plan as a restart to understanding and responding to user needs
• work with stakeholders across DHSC, ONS and the wider UK statistical system to share expertise and support the continued production and publication of valuable abortion statistics
• strengthen monitoring of media coverage, publications and other external use of the statistics to better understand how they are being interpreted and used
• make greater use of available website and publication metrics, including page visits and downloads, to understand user interest and engagement
• use existing networks and relationships across DHSC to engage with professional bodies, advocacy groups and other stakeholders to better understand how the statistics inform their work

In the long term we intend to:

• develop and publish additional analysis and statistical developments where there is a clear user need and where it is feasible to do so, working with internal and external stakeholders to identify and prioritise outputs
• engage with academics and researchers who use abortion statistics to understand their evidence needs and gather feedback on the usefulness of current published outputs
• introduce a sustainable feedback mechanism to enable users to share views, suggestions and emerging needs on an ongoing basis
• build stronger evidence based on user needs and how the statistics are used, ensuring this information informs future publication development and priorities
• continue to improve supporting documentation and guidance to help users understand the statistics, data quality, methodology and context
• increase transparency by communicating how user feedback has been considered and, where appropriate, how it has influenced decisions about the statistics
• regularly review and evaluate our engagement activities to understand their impact, identify areas for improvement and ensure user insights continue to inform the development of abortion statistics