On 28 September 2026, Health Minister Mónica García announced in Madrid a plan to make medication abortion available beyond hospitals when the method is appropriate. The Health Ministry will begin the regulatory work needed to bring care closer to home, with medical guidance throughout the process.
García presented the proposal at an event titled "Abortar sin barreras: del reconocimiento del derecho a la garantía efectiva del acceso". Equality Minister Ana Redondo joined her for Día Internacional del Aborto. García said the service should offer advice before the procedure, with support during and afterwards.
The plan is still pending, and the measure is not yet in force.
Sanidad plans to amend the royal decree governing healthcare centre authorisation. The change would set requirements for medication abortion in primary care facilities. The ministry also intends to start updating the technical information for mifepristone, one of the medicines used in medication abortion, to allow its use outside an exclusively hospital setting.
A further change would add the service to the common portfolio of the Sistema Nacional de Salud. The rollout would require agreement with Spain's autonomous communities and healthcare professionals.
Women should know where to go and have enough information to make a choice, with a medical team available throughout the process. García described the practical aim in simple terms: fewer journeys. Women would have a clear contact for questions and continued care from professionals familiar with the case.
The current pattern of care helps explain the proposal. In 2024, 78.75% of abortions in Spain took place in private centres and 21.25% in the public sector, information from official figures cited by the government. In the Community of Madrid, more than 99% of abortions were carried out in the private sector, information from figures repeated in government and media reports.
Some autonomous communities have already moved most of this care into the public health system. Sanidad says those regions can offer models for others. A separate report on Madrid housing pressure shows how access to public services can depend on daily travel and practical support, not only on formal rights.
The pattern also affects the method women receive. Medication abortion is more common where abortion care is more integrated into the public system; surgical procedures are more common in regions that rely heavily on private clinics. In 2024, medication abortion accounted for 86.4% of abortions in Cantabria, 76.5% in Navarra, 68.2% in La Rioja and 68.1% in Galicia, according to figures cited in coverage of the ministry’s initiative. Surgical abortions made up 86% of the total in Andalusia and 94% in Madrid. The figures show how differently care is delivered across Spain.
García said abortion access must be guaranteed across Spain and that regional governments are responsible for providing the service. She also referred to the institutional campaign Sanidad recently presented.
The minister defended different ways of experiencing an abortion. She said a woman should not have to prove distress for her decision to be legitimate. Sanidad launched the wider campaign in late September 2026. It focuses on stigma and guilt around abortion as the government presses autonomous communities over gaps in public-sector access.
El País reported that the planned changes would allow primary-care centres to prescribe medication abortion. At present, the route is concentrated in hospitals and private providers. Advocacy and healthcare organisations have described the existing system as a source of deep territorial inequality, with access depending on the autonomous community and the availability of private clinics.
The proposed changes would shift attention from recognising the right to organising care around the patient's local health centre. The ministry has named the barriers it wants to reduce. Distance is one; patients may also be unsure where to seek help, while continuous support remains lacking.
The decree, medicine information and service portfolio still need to change. Until then, the plan remains a government initiative rather than a nationwide service. Its value will depend on whether primary care can offer the route in every community, instead of making access depend on location or private provision.
