Or should GP surgery's not be allowed to advertise themselves as 'pro-life'?

@CurlewKate

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-51658631.amp

https://amp.abc.net.au/article/100521094

https://www.cedarsstory.com/pressure-to-abort-a-baby-with-down-syndrome-stole-my-joy/

I have. I read a lot of personal accounts from parents of children with Down syndrome, and this seems to be a not-uncommon experience in both the UK and the US.

No I think it means they are pro-life/ anti-abortion.

Doctors are allowed to be. GPs are also all independent contractors with a contract with the NHS. They are not direct NHS employees.

@Elseaknows "I'm sorry but all those stating doctors should be forced to do this doesn't sit right with me"

Is anyone saying doctors should be forced to perform abortions?

Me ex-GP had a crucifix on his consulting room wall
That spoke volumes and not so subtly

@Timeforaglassofwine why would you assume that? Over half of GPs are women, and I know plenty of women with moral qualms about abortion.

A hospital nurse is very, very different to a GP. A GP is most people's first point of contact to access healthcare. They / he (probably) don't have the luxury of being able to consciously object or express an opinion. No one is asking a GP to perform an abortion, they are asking "him" (because I'm assuming the practise is male run) to refer. His opinion don't matter and shouldn't be known to the woman or girl needing help.

If you object to abortion you simply don't have to have one. I 100% support your right to make that choice.

I can support medical staff having the right not to participate in the abortion process.

That makes me nothing but tolerant of different opinions.

These doctors have their opt out but still think they have the right to share their personal views on abortion with their patients. That is unprofessional and I'm surprised it is allowed.

There is a reason anti choice people are called forced birthers, it's because tolerance is a one way street for them.

Perfectly fine, although I don’t know when doctors are ever asked to do that, but sure, refuse.

Given the name of the surgery and the stated beliefs I’d assume it’s a catholic practice. On that assumption I find the statement quite useful ie I’m not catholic and don’t have those beliefs so I wouldn’t join that surgery. I wouldn’t like to get a shock otherwise if I hadn’t understood that before signing up. I expect the transparency is a good thing in that the patients are aware that their doctors share these core beliefs (which people have pointed out numerous times are allowed in law) and will therefore advise them in a way that doesn’t conflict with their religion?

Not sure what you mean?

If a doctor can opt out of providing this service but has to signpost women to other service providers then why do I need to know their personal feelings on the matter?

I think they should just be prevented from taking on women of reproductive age, tbh. And they should state they don't provide xyz services - pro-life is a misnomer, no one is pro-death and anti-choice positions can cause death (like that poor woman in Ireland)

A referral yes. But what if the job was asking you to drive the woman there and support her through the procedure? I've known someone in that position who refused to participate.

No, it would not be closer as it has nothing to do with health care and is a private service, not a public one funded in part by women. They’re not being asked to perform the abortion, just do their job and make a referral. If you can’t handle that, your in the wrong job.

I'm sorry but all those stating doctors should be forced to do this doesn't sit right with me. Imagine being that vulnerable and having a doctor who clearly hates you have gone through with an abortion? NO THANK YOU.
All the posters claiming "well they shouldn't be NHS GPs" - why exactly? Everyone is entitled to their beliefs. Women will still get the help they deserve and need. Just because you demand a service, doesn't mean ALL doctors need to provide it then and there.
As for long lasting contraception, my GP doesn't offer things like coils and IUD because they need specialist fitting so you have to go to a specialised clinic?
MAP is available at most pharmacies now too.
Demanding doctors or nurses to do procedures they morally object to isn't the way to go.

I say this as someone who had a termination (as a teenager) and had a nurse sit and cry in the corridor after she told me I had passed the embryo. I felt numb, then relieved. She was obviously devastated which made me feel so guilty.

We'll have to agree to disagree on that. If I were a woman seeking an abortion, I'd be glad for the heads up. It might save me having an uncomfortable experience, and might help me get more timely care than having to get a referral and other appointment with someone else.

I think offering care to people of whatever sexual orientation, even if you disagree, is different than asking someone to be an active participant in a termination when it goes against their conscience. I've supported people in situations I don't agree with before, because it was a neutral act for me. That's different to participating.

A closer parallel would be the argument about whether bakers should be able to refuse to bake a wedding cake for a situation they don't agree with.

IME your worry is justified, Longtimelurkerfinally posts

The comment in their policy statement about directing patients elsewhere is likely included to cover themselves legally, but I've been involved professionally with HCPs who object to abortion and know very well that some will do whatever it takes to prevent access and manage this under the legal radar

My own position is that personal beliefs are just that ... personal, and that while they should be fully respected it's utterly inappropriate to force them onto others in any sphere, be it healthcare, education or anything else

@WorriedMutha "Society rubs along so much better when we learn to tolerate others with opinions that don't align with our own"

I assume you are aware of the irony of this statement in the context of the thread?

Its outrageous that tax payer funded bodies are procuring services from partnerships which as policy refuse to provide a sizeable chunk of those services.

The ethical issue can be met by individual HCPs in a practice being able to opt out of providing this advice but a practice is an NHS sub contracted entity which should provide the full range of primary care. It also suggests they discriminate on employment.

Rural areas would particularly be affected but tere are many areas in towns and cities where there is no real choice about GP practices - you end up with whichever has a space. Rather like the myth that you can "just go to another pharmacy" when the only accessible units refuse to provide MAP. I wonder how many patients are even aware that they are joining a practice which is anti women's basic rights?

I would not trust a practice with this policy to give objective and impartial advice on contraception - some hormonal contraceptives are already banned in pro life parts of the world because they prevent implantation rather than fertilisation which is exactly the rationale used for refusing IUDs by the policy.
Women die because when they can't get treatment for a miscarriage/dead foetus due to this kind of attitude.

The right to be a conscientious objector to abortion is enshrined in the 1967 Abortion Act. Many individual GPs are pro life and referring on to others is not controversial.
I knew many nurses, mainly Irish, who wouldn't take part in abortion care in hospitals and it wasn't an issue.
If there is a move to allow assisted dying, I would expect doctors to be allowed to opt not to play a role in it. I would be appalled if a right to death zealot demanded that they take part as they are paid by the tax payers.
Society rubs along so much better when we learn to tolerate others with opinions that don't align with our own.

There is no such thing as neutral healthcare.

You think it’s good they advertise this? So should doctors also be able to refuse (and promote that refusal) to treat gay men, because they’re homophobic? Or would advertising such a thing be considered hateful?

Ive already said I agree individual doctors should have a choice, but I don’t agree you should advertise it like this, or exclusively recruit doctors with the same opinion. Women are tax payers too, we fund the NHS and these doctors, if you don’t like working for a PUBLIC service, then don’t work for one, but don’t try and change its structure to conform with your own beliefs.

A GP knows exactly what 'pro life' means. It isn't an ambiguous term at all. The message there is that they do not support abortion. I don't know whether this covers contraception/ MAP, family planning advice.

It seems an odd area of medicine to go into in the UK when there are so many other options that would have very little to do with reproduction.and GP has so much. It's annoying because their beliefs forfeit female patients the most but at least they're transparent about it and duty bound to refer elsewhere.

Exactly. Think this poster must be my mil, she also used the same language. Also the poster is tragically misinformed because this is how a dr died in Ireland, she was refused an abortion in the same situation and died of septis. There are some ignorant and stupid people in the world.

I think many women opting for a termination would rather know upfront that they will be seeing someone who supports them so think making it clear you are pro-life helps with the decision of who to go to.