Women considering abortion may win right to independent counselling
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Amendments to the Health and Social Care Bill have been laid to ensure that women considering an abortion would be guaranteed access to independent advice prior to being referred to an abortion provider.
The amendments, laid by Nadine Dorries MP and Rt Hon. Frank Field MP, would be the first significant change to abortion law for more than 20 years, following concerns that women are not getting independent advice at a time when they are highly vulnerable.
If the amendments are accepted then women would be referred to an ‘independent’ therapist or organisation before they could have a termination. The amendment would also ban abortion providers from serving as counsellors for such women. Counselling would have to be provided by a statutory body or a private organisation that does not itself provide abortions and has no financial interest in the outcome.
The British Pregnancy Advisory Service and Marie Stopes currently offer women counselling before they make a decision on termination.
Mrs Dorries believes that it is vital to remove the conflict of financial ‘vested interest’ that exists for abortion providers in the procedure going ahead. Outsourcing abortions to private providers is worth an estimated £60m.
Comments
In an earlier Press Release, Nadine Dorries MP, said:
“When vulnerable women in a crisis pregnancy situation consult a GP about an abortion many are referred on to a private clinic for counselling, the very same clinic paid to carry out terminations. Women are being denied independent information upon which to base such a huge decision. Advice, support and counselling should be available to the woman via her GP practice, in her own community, before she steps over the abortion clinic threshold.
“Our amendment aims to ensure that all women seeking an abortion will be offered independent advice, separate from a private provider which would carry out an abortion.”
Frank Field MP said:
“In the huge scandal of pension mis-selling, Parliament quite rightly took the decision to separate advice from the process of selling. We wish, quite simply, for this basic principle to be applied to the provision of NHS abortions.”
Nadine Dorries added, “Many women find the process of their abortion distressing and have to live with that experience for the rest of their lives. Many women are angry to learn about this financial conflict particularly if they have suffered as a result of their abortion. I have so much sympathy for those vulnerable women who had no independent help and no support and who live daily with the consequences. This amendment will ensure that no woman experiences this ever again.”
Right to Know
The amendment is being supported by the Right to Know Campaign.
Andrea Williams, CEO of the Christian Legal Centre, said:
“It is vital that women get independent counselling and are more fully informed of the risks of having an abortion. We would encourage people to support the Right to Know Campaign in order to lend their voice to this issue. Please visit the Right to Know Campaign website which will help you get in touch will your MP to support this amendment.”
Lower Abortion Rate
Yesterday (Tuesday 28 June) the British Medical Association discussed lowering the upper abortion limit for able-bodied babies from 24 to 20 weeks, a move they then voted against.
Dr Peter Saunders, of the Christian Medical Fellowship, said:
“Passing motion 304 would have given more legal protection to 2,000 babies a year; just 1% of the total. It would have put clear blue water between the upper abortion limit and the lower threshold of viability. And it would have shown that the BMA was beginning to listen. Unfortunately they are not."
In contrast, abortion laws across the Unites States have been tightening and six US states have recently outlawed abortion after 20 weeks.
Sources
Dr Peter Saunders Blog: BMA still not listening on late abortion
New York Times: ‘Several States Forbid Abortion After 20 Weeks’
Resources
