Information about pregnancy options for health professionals

​​​NSW Health has made changes to the notification of termination of pregnancy form in order to align with recent legislative amendments to the Abortion Law Reform Act 2019. These changes came into effect from 1 July 2025. Please note that the link to form remains unchanged.

Notification of termination of pregnancy

To comply with the Abortion Law Reform Act 2019, details of each termination of pregnancy must be submitted to the NSW Ministry of Health within 28 days via the secure online notification system

In rare circumstances where internet access is unavailable, a PDF notification form is permitted. To ensure the accuracy of the data, all fields must be completed. Th​​e form must be emailed or faxed to the NSW Ministry of Health at MOH-TOP-notifications@health.nsw.gov.au. Any enquiries can also be directed to this address.

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What is the Abortion Law Reform Act 2019?

In New South Wales, the law on termination of pregnancy is governed by the Abortion Law Reform Act 2019, which amended the Crimes Act 1900 to repeal the provisions of that Act relating to termination of pregnancy and to abolish the common law offences relating to termination of pregnancy.

The Abortion Law Reform Act 2019 ensures termination of pregnancy is treated as a health issue rather than a criminal issue. The Act:

  • establishes a health centred approach for terminations
  • supports a woman's right to health, including reproductive health and autonomy
  • provides clarity and safety for registered health practitioners providing/assisting a termination of pregnancy.

The NSW Health Secretary has issued the NSW Health Policy Directive Framework for Termination of Pregnancy in New South Wales (PD2025_026)​ as a statutory guideline for the purpose of section 14 of the Abortion Law Reform Act 2019, and applies to all registered health practitioners in NSW who perform, or assist in the performance of, a termination of pregnancy.

What do the changes mean for health practitioners in NSW?

In 2025, the Act was amended to allow nurse practitioners and endorsed midwives to perform terminations in certain cases. The Policy Directive has been updated to align with recent legislative amendments to the Act and makes changes to:

  • ensure that prescribed health practitioners (medical practitioners, nurse practitioners and endorsed midwives) consider their individual scope of practice and the setting in which they practice before performing a termination of pregnancy
  • clarify that prescribed health practitioners must have appropriate qualifications and training in the provision of abortion care
  • provide a directive that nurse practitioners and endorsed midwives in NSW are only permitted to perform medical terminations of pregnancy up to 63 days (9 weeks) gestation
  • incorporate all relevant content from the previous NSW Health Guideline Prevention of Termination of Pregnancy for the Sole Purpose of Sex Selection (GL2021_008), which has now been rescinded.

Termination of pregnancy on a person who is more than 22 weeks pregnan​t

A termination of pregnancy on a person who is more than 22 weeks pregnant may be performed by a specialist medical practitioner provided that the medical practitioner:

  • considers that there are sufficient grounds for the termination to be performed, and
  • has consulted with another specialist medical practitioner who also considers that there are sufficient grounds for the termination to be performed.

The specialist medical practitioner may consult with a multidisciplinary advisory group or hospital advisory committee, where they identify a need.

A termination of pregnancy on a person who is more than 22 weeks pregnant must, except in an emergency, be performed in certain public hospitals or approved facilities.

Practitioners who assist in a termination of pregnancy

The Act also allows certain registered health practitioners (nurses, midwives, pharmacists and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioners) to assist in performing a termination. Assisting a termination includes a pharmacist dispensing medication on prescription of a prescribed health practitioner subject to the requirements of the Act.

Termination of pregnancy for the purpose of sex selection

Before performing a termination of pregnancy, it may be disclosed to the medical practitioner that the reason for the request is for the sole purpose of sex selection. If this is the reason for the request, the practitioner must not perform the termination, unless not performing the termination will cause significant risk to the woman’s health or safety. These will often be complex clinical and/or ethical scenarios. In all cases, the woman’s physical and psychological wellbeing must be the medical practitioner’s priority.

Notification to the Health Secretary

In accordance with the Act, a medical practitioner, nurse practitioner or endorsed midwife who performs a termination of pregnancy must notify the NSW Health Secretary NSW within 28 days.

What happens if a registered health practitioner has a conscientious objection to termination of pregnancy?

When asked to advise about, perform or assist in a termination of pregnancy, any registered health practitioner who has a conscientious objection to termination of pregnancy must inform the person who made the request in a timely fashion.

The registered health practitioner must also:

  • give information to the woman on how to locate or contact a prescribed health practitioner whom they believe does not have a conscientious objection to the performance of the termination or
  • transfer the woman’s care to another prescribed health practitioner, or health service provider, who can provide the requested service and does not have a conscientious objection to the performance of the termination.

The requirement to provide information may be met by directing a woman to the Pregnancy Choices Helpline on 1800 008 463 or the Pregnancy Choices website​, which provides information on termination of pregnancy providers, as well as general information and support services for reproductive and sexual health.

The exception to this is termination of pregnancy in emergency situations. Medical practitioners, midwives, nurses and other staff must perform a termination of pregnancy, or assist in the termination, in those rare emergency cases where it is necessary to preserve the life of the pregnant woman, regardless of their objection to termination of pregnancy.

Do women have to attend counselling before having a termination of pregnancy?

Under the Act, women seeking a termination of pregnancy prior to 22 weeks gestation are not required to attend counselling but may wish to do so. Prescribed health practitioners who provide terminations are required to assess whether counselling would be beneficial. Most providers will offer counselling services that women can use before and after the procedure.

GPs can refer women to registered health practitioners who offer non-directive pregnancy counselling, with a signed and dated letter. Medicare rebates are available for up to three sessions of counselling per patient, per pregnancy. This service is only available to women who are pregnant or have been pregnant in the last 12 months.

For terminations of pregnancy after 22 weeks, the specialist medical practitioner must provide information to the woman about access to counselling, including publicly funded counselling. This requirement does not apply in an emergency.

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What information is available to women who are considering a termination?

For more information, women can:

Current as at: Tuesday 1 July 2025
Contact page owner: NSW Health