More than 60 doctors found to be signing off abortions for women they had never met will not face disciplinary action, it has been revealed.
One doctor had pre-signed so many blank forms that they were still being used by an abortion clinic four years after he left.
The disclosure follows an undercover investigation by the Daily Telegraph which revealed doctors were offering terminations to women on the basis of their child's gender.
A subsequent investigation by NHS watchdog, the Care Quality Commission, identified 67 doctors as having illegally signed blank abortion forms, which should only be completed once they have a thorough understanding of a woman's circumstances.
The 1967 Abortion Act specifically states an abortion can only go-ahead if two doctors agree, in good faith, that a request for the procedure meets at least one of the grounds set out in the Act.
Andrea Williams, Chief Executive of the Christian Legal Centre, commented:
“The revelations of gender-related abortion and of the use of ‘pre-signed’ abortion forms flies in the face of the spirit and letter of the 1967 Abortion Act which put strong protections in place for the sake of women. These shocking revelations indicate a level of contempt for proper process. It is remarkable that instead of applying the law and pursuing prosecution, the Government seems happy to acquiesce in this blatant disregard for human life and the protection of mothers-to-be.
“The 1967 Abortion Act clearly and deliberately included the close involvement of doctors in both authorising and conducting abortion. This was to ensure that abortion was carried out only in the rarest of cases. The Act was never meant to pave the way for ‘abortion on demand’ which is effectively what we see happening today."
Read more (Telegraph) >
