Support for Doctors' conscientious objection to abortion

Briefing.

From SPUC: Leading family doctors in Cambridge are supporting the right of doctors to
refuse to provide abortions, in response to a survey in Pulse magazine which showed growing opposition to abortion by doctors. Dr Mike Knapton, a family doctor, said "I think it is absolutely right doctors who have moral or religious objections to this treatment should have the right not to provide this service. It is only right and proper GPs (general practitioners) make it known [that] patients can see another doctor for assessment." A spokesman for Marie Stopes International said "it lends fuel to the argument that we should take doctors out of the picture." [Cambridge Evening News 4 May] Comment: "SPUC has warned that the publicity around doctors who exercise their legal and moral right to conscientious objection, will be used by the pro-abortion lobby as a pretext for arguing that less highly qualified staff should be allowed to perform abortions. As well as resisting this, doctors must continue to
resist the pressure to refer on for abortions - otherwise their moral and legal position will quickly be eroded."