The 1967 Abortion Act puts it plainly: “No person shall be under any duty, whether by contract or by any statutory or other legal requirement, to participate in any treatment authorised by this Act to which he has a conscientious objection”.
Forty-nine years on, a new report from the All-Party Parliamentary Pro-Life Group (APPG) claims that in today’s NHS, it is not that simple. There is “widespread and increasing pressure”, says the report, for doctors and nurses to take part in abortions.
In part, this reflects the strain on NHS resources. If you don’t refer a woman for an abortion, you must offer her a second opinion, creating more work for your colleagues. But it also indicates that there is a more militant pro-choice movement within the NHS, and less toleration for conscientious objectors.
