NHS advised to offer readily available contraception

The NHS has been advised by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to make contraception more readily available to the under-25s.

NICE said that if the service allowed some teenagers to take home emergency contraception in a pre-emptive measure, it could reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies in the UK.

Although under-18 conception rates have fallen in England, the country still has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in Europe. Furthermore, the NHS spends around 53 million pounds a year conducting abortions for under-25s in the UK.

NICE's proposals include an idea to allow qualified school nurses and pharmacists to dispense free emergency contraceptive pills without the patient having a prescription. 

Anne Weyman, chair of the independent committee that developed the plans, said: "The new guidance aims to reduce unwanted pregnancies by ensuring that young people have access to a full range of contraceptive methods."