Minister criticised for backtracking on abortion care comments
However, Ms Minto has since told The Herald she meant she only expects to receive 'expert views' on improving later abortion care in this time frame.
During their conference in 2022, the SNP committed to ensuring abortion services are available up to the legal limit of 24 weeks for all patients in Scotland.
Yet, health boards in Scotland do not provide the care up to legal limit unless in specific cases such as foetal abnormality or a threat to the woman's life.
The cut-off for most cases in Scotland currently stands at 20 weeks.
Reacting to Ms Minto's comments, Heidi Stewart, CEO of BPAS told The Herald: "Following the commitment made by the Women's Health Minister on Wednesday during her interview on BBC Scotland's Good Morning Scotland, we are very disappointed to hear that the work will not be completed within 6 months.
"It appears as if the Scottish Government is kicking the can down the road, yet again, at the expense of women.
"As the largest abortion provider in the UK, BPAS can provide the government with an expert view now and for free - a health board needs to host a service and fund the consultants in Scotland who want to run this service to get it started.'
The update comes as figures from earlier this month reveal that every four days, a Scottish woman is forced to travel to England to get an abortion.
A new Task and Finish Group has been established by NHS Scotland Planning and Delivery Board to agree the best way to implement a service for patients seeking an abortion between 20-24 weeks.
The Scottish Government has said they are involved in ongoing conversations with "a number of clinicians" interested in training, and more staff are undergoing training to provide later surgical care.
The Herald understands there are now two members of the clinical team across Scotland who can provide surgical abortion care past the 20 week period but a theatre group must be established to allow them to deliver such care. Another NHS staff member is currently undergoing training to provide this care at a later stage.
It comes after this paper reported in November only one doctor had been trained to provide surgical abortion care to the legal limit.
Public Health Minister Jenni Minto told The Herald: 'I sympathise with all women who must travel to access abortion services. We are working with Health Boards and other key stakeholders to ensure equitable access to abortion services up to the legal gestational limit within Scotland, as soon as possible.
"I have written to the Chair of the Task and Finish Group to ask them to report back within 6 months and provide an expert view on establishing the later stage abortion service in Scotland."
The minister added: 'In the meantime, if a Health Board cannot offer abortion services locally, the Scottish Government expects they provide appropriate care, including to fund travel and accommodation costs if women must travel to England for treatment.'
However, specifically asked if she has set a deadline for health boards to provide an abortion care service up to the 24-week limit, Jenni Minto previously told BBC Good Morning Scotland on Wednesday she had hopes of improving later care within a six-month period.
Ms Minto told the programme: "I have indicated to the chair of the Task and Finish group that I expect to see the work done hopefully within the next six months because it is important that we recognise the safety requirements of doing this and also balance that with the needs of women and that is at the core of the role that I have been carrying out."
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Earlier this month, an STV report revealed a woman is forced to travel from Scotland to England to get an abortion every four days.
In 2024, there were 88 women from Scotland treated by the charity BPAS at abortion clinics in England, up from 67 the year before.
The Women's Health minister told BBC's Good Morning Scotland she did not think that was acceptable, adding she has been 'working closely with colleagues' to 'find solutions to match the requirements" of the Abortion Act 1967.
Ms Minto said: 'What has changed is that I have been very clear with the Scottish Government to create and set up a Task and Finish group to ensure that we are providing abortion services to those women that require them after twenty weeks gestation."
Ms Minto said she is 'disappointed by the length of time it has taken to ensure there is the right circumstances across health boards to provide the 'required need' in Scotland.
She added: 'I believe we now have a way to ensure that will happen as soon as possible, as soon as is safely possible. I live on an island and I completely understand the trauma of having to travel for any type of healthcare so that's why I am very understanding and really want to see this service brought into the health boards in Scotland.'
Ms Minto stressed there needed to be the 'right level of staffing' to ensure abortions could be carried out 'safely'.
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