Category: Abortion

Two-thirds of GPs will refuse to provide abortion pills

Doctors voted in closed forum to rule themselves out of service

Irish Independent

Eilish O’Regan

A majority of GPs say they will not provide abortion pills to women in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy if it becomes law, according to a survey of family doctors.

Nearly seven in 10 of the 497 GPs who voted in a closed doctors’ forum said they would not be involved in medical abortions.

Around 15.7pc said they would provide the service and 16.1pc were “unsure”.

The doctors are among 3,700 GPs who are registered with GPBuddy.ie, the online medical directory designed by GPs for Irish healthcare professionals.

They responded to a series of questions on the confidential forum.

Although the survey has its limitations, it indicates that, if rolled out nationwide, it would mean a substantial number of GPs would opt out of the abortion service.

However, they would be obliged to refer a woman seeking an abortion to a doctor who provides the procedure. . . [Full Text]

NI peer’s bill could excuse medical staff from taking part in abortions

Belfast Newsletter

A Northern Ireland-based peer is championing a bill which aims to protect the freedom of conscience for medical professionals.

The Conscientious Objection (Medical Activities) Bill is designed to grant protection to healthcare workers – including doctors, midwives, nurses, and pharmacists – who object on grounds of conscience to being asked to participate in end-of-life treatment.

In practice, this could see medics opting out of any involvement in abortion services.

Professionals could be excused from taking part in the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment, and could also refuse to participate in any aspect of IVF treatment. . . [Full text]

 

What happens after Repeal?

The Phil wades into the Repeal discussion to question what will come if the 8th amendment is repealed

Trinity News

Georgina Francis

Last Tuesday, the Phil hosted “Beyond Repeal”. The Phil sought to discuss what will happen if the eighth amendment is repealed with a panel of highly respected and knowledgeable speakers.

Beginning with a brief introduction each of the speakers outlined their involvement with the campaign. Julie O’Donnell spoke first of her personal experience with a fetal abnormality in her pregnancy, revealing she “just felt so alone” and that she “thought I’d be treated in my own country”. After seeing the founders of Terminations for Medical Reasons (TFMR) O’Donnell contacted them and became involved. . . [Full Text]

Medical professionals divided on bill allowing them to refuse to perform abortions, other procedures

New Hampshire Union Leader

Dave Solomon

CONCORD  –  The national debate over the rights of health care workers to refuse to perform procedures like abortion or assisted suicide is working its way through the New Hampshire State House as lawmakers consider “an act relative to the rights of conscience for medical professionals.”

The medical community is divided over the bill, which would allow medical professionals to refuse any procedure that goes against their personal beliefs, including abortion, providing contraceptives or contraceptive counseling.

Doctors at a public hearing last week testified for and against the bill (HB 1787), which would also cover physician’s assistants, nurses, pharmacists, medical students … basically anyone and everyone who works in the health care profession. The lengthy definition of “health care provider” in the bill includes “hospital or clinic employees.” . . . [Full Text]

Conscientious objection is an important medical principle

Doctors are expected to have integrity. Does this not entail that they should do what they think is right?

The Spectator

Toni Saad

Something interesting is happening in the House of Lords. Baroness O’Loan’s Conscientious Objection (Medical Activities) Bill, now at the committee stage, has put on the agenda an issue which well-deserves to be there. Its point is simple: all healthcare professionals should have a legal right to opt out of certain procedures which they find objectionable. It specifies three areas: abortion provision, withdrawal of life-saving treatment, and actions relating to certain reproductive technologies.

This is not particularly radical; the 1967 Abortion Act already explicitly protects conscientious objection. Indeed, it could even be asked why this should, in a country with a tradition of liberty like ours, even be up for debate. Do we really need law to protect the right to conscience?

Sadly, it has become clear that we do. Armchair philosophers have been discussing the merits of forcing doctors and nurses to act against their conscience (or lose their jobs) over the last few years. Many papers against conscience have been published. . . [Full Text]