Edward Atkinson: MPs intervene

Background briefing. The inhuman treatment of the pro-life activist Edward Atkinson continues; 21 Members of Parliament have signed the 'early day motion' below to protest about this. Atkinson has now served his prison sentence for sending pictures of aborted babies to staff at a hospital where abortions take place, and the hospital is still rerusing to treat him. For a report of the original story, see here. For a supportive comment in The Times, see here.

House of Commons Early Day Motion 2677. Refusal of Hospital Treatment to Mr Edward Atkinson 09.10.2006. Llwyd, Eifyn. 21 signatures.
That this House notes that the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King's Lynn, withdrew all non-life-threatening treatment from 74-year-old pensioner, Edward Atkinson, when he was discharged from prison having served 21 days of a 28-day sentence; notes that his offence was sending pictures of aborted infants to hospital staff; further notes that the pictures were described as indecent or grossly offensive but stresses that, alougth the pictures are extremely disturbing, nobody has denied their accuracy; further notes that this explains in great part the growing NHS problem of young doctors refusing to carry out abortions so that hospitals are compelled to refer cases to clinics where the NHS finances the operations; notes, furthermore, that Mr Atkinson regarded the exercise as educational and at no time came into contact with or spoke to any member of the hospital staff nor did he address them abusively in letters sent with the photographs; notes, moreover, that he has never been accused of threatening behaviour and therefore cannot he accused of physical or verbal abuse of staff; further notes that, unless the behaviour of criminals is deemed to be a threat to hospital staff, they are always provided with appropriate medical and hospital care and they are not banned from such when discharged from prison having served their sentences; and calls on the Government to require the Queen Elizabeth Hospital to provide Mr Atkinson with hospital care as necessary, including the hip replacemen operation he needs and continued care for diabetes at the hospital clinic from which he is now banned. [Hansard] [Thanks to CFNews]

Among the siganatories were: Mr Elfyn Llwyd, Tim Farron, David Simpson, Mr Nigel Evans, Bob Spink, Mr David Amess, Mr Mike Hancock, Mr David Drew, Sir Nicholas Winterton, Hywel Williams, John Hemming, Helen Goodman