The Abortion Reform Act has now come into effect, but the battle lines that were drawn during the public debate are still as entrenched as ever.

The Act began life as a private member’s bill from Ramsey MHK Dr Alex Allinson and has been one of the most debated pieces of legislation the island has passed in quite some time.

The Act itself officially came into effect from Friday, after regulations setting out how the new law will be enforced were agreed during the May sitting of Tynwald.

Following this, women in the island seeking an abortion will be able to call 642521 or visit www.bpas.org/contact-us/request-a-call-back/ to receive confidential advice, support and information on abortion treatment services, provided by the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS).

Abortions will be provided by a self-referral system, meaning women do not have to wait to be referred by any health professional, including their GP, to access the service.

To begin with, it is expected a small number of surgical abortions will have to be carried out off-island.

These will still be organised by BPAS and it is understood that the Department of Health and Social Care will be funding treatment, travel, and accommodation.

These arrangements will remain in place until the full on-island service is available.

A DHSC statement said: ’Today marks the start of a new chapter in women’s reproductive healthcare in the Isle of Man.

’The reforms decriminalise abortion making it possible for women to have a termination on request within the first 14 weeks of pregnancy, under specified circumstances during the 15- to 24- week period, and in certain situations after 24 weeks.

New chapter

’Local counselling services are in place and will be made available to women before and after a termination.’

The Act coming into effect has been met with celebrations by campaigners such as the Campaign for Abortion Law Modernisation (CALM). However there was some confusion online on Friday as to how and when the abortion services would be available.

A CALM statement had initially claimed: ’For the first time, women in the Isle of Man will be able to access an abortion service but they will still need to travel to a clinic in the UK.

’We can only apologise to all of our supporters - this wishy-washy watered down version of the provision of abortion services might only be short-term, the DHSC might be planning to bring it all on-island, but for now woman will have to travel to clinics across.

’If this is you, we’re so sorry that the DHSC couldn’t use the 10 weeks since the Health Minister said abortion services would be available at Noble’s Hospital to actually do this.’

However, the group later admitted this was wrong, saying: ’Contrary to what we were told initially - medical abortion services, which means the taking of tablets, are now available on the Isle of Man.

’We have also been assured that the DHSC is working hard to ensure that other services will be rolled out over the next two or three months.’

However, anti-reform group Humanity and Equality in Abortion Reform (HEAR) was disappointed that the Act had passed into law.

A spokesman for HEAR admitted defeat, saying: ’Enough has been said. You know how we feel, this battle is done, dusted and devastating.’

The group has also criticised the introduction of an access zone at the hospital which forbids the distribution of anti-abortion information or contacting women seeking abortions on or within 100m of Noble’s Hospital grounds.

HEAR said this was ’utterly unnecessary’ and claimed there had been ’no attempts at harassment or intimidation in the UK and certainly none on the island’.

The spokesman added: ’Censorship zones are therefore without cause.’

Self-styled ’rebel priest’ Dr Jules Gomes claimed the island had created ’Europe’s most draconian anti-free speech law censoring pro-life freedom of expression’ and also hinted at court challenges.