Calthorpe clinic

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The Calthorpe Clinic is an abortion clinic in Edgbaston, Birmingham, England that first opened in 1969. It was the first clinic in the United Kingdom opened exclusively for abortions. It was erected at Arthur Road in a building that was previously an old people's home and started out with 18 beds.^[1] Since its opening, the clinic provided surgical and medical terminations for thousands of women each year. Nowadays it also provides sterilisation, and vasectomy services.

The establishment is the single largest abortion clinic in the UK with an annual caseload of around 10,000 clients. Approximately 85 % of the caseload is on contract to the NHS. It is approved by the Secretary of State for Health under the Abortion Act 1967 and regulated by the Healthcare Commission and has to meet the national minimum standards set by the Care Standards Act 2000. The clinic is named after the Calthorpe family who owned much of the area in Edgbaston during its growth in the 19th century.