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

[Clownwithafrown]

I'm job hunting and came across an ad for a medical receptionist at a GP surgery. I wasn't sure where exactly this particular surgery was so googled it and this statement was on the home page; 'The Doctors here at xxxx Surgery are committed to a 'pro-life' policy. This means that the Doctors value each individual’s 'life' from conception to natural death.'

I'm not reading that wrong am I, they are stating that they're anti abortion aren't they? Surely that shouldn't be allowed at an NHS practice should it? I'm a bit gobsmacked that it's blatantly there on the home page, literally the first thing you see when you click on the site. And it clearly means all the doctors, I mean obviously people don't have to register with that surgery but for there to be no options for those who already are registered just doesn't seem right to me. Does anyone know if this is actually allowed?

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

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.

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.

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

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

@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?

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.

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.

@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/

Thank you. I don’t know what’s supposed to be so unbelievable about doctors sometimes pressuring women to have abortions - surely we don’t all believe that every doctor is a perfect model of ethical standards.

Nobody has stated an individual doctor or nurse should perform an abortion - that's a wild misdirection from the thread OP.

The point is that a taxpayer funded public health body is contracting out primary health care services to a business which refuses to provide a key component of primary health care - aka women's reproductive services based on NICE guidelines.

And frankly, if an HCP doesn't want to provide women's reproductive services then yes - I'd suggest they choose a speciality which doesn't require delivery of those services rather than take the business and refuse to provide them.

There are plenty of areas of medicine which don't require delivery of women's reproductive services. Its unethical to take the money for a service you intend to restrict or refuse to deliver.

Yeah, I’ve heard of this. Easy to be pro life on a 6 figure salary having not faced learning your dc has a severely life limiting disability.

I actually think its helpful. It means you know to avoid that surgery if you know you won't get the services you may need.

We're in a medium sized town but we only have two medical practices to choose from, and they are geographically overlapping but the one we aren't with only has one location in my part of town (and ours only has one location in the other part of town). It's quite a sprawling town so if you were in area A you'd be travelling 5 miles on rubbish buses to the nearest surgery of practice B, if A didn't offer abortion, rather than walking round the corner to practice A.

So in reality, people don't have a choice of which practice to go with, and usually you'd choose a practice as a child or young adult and only change if you move - you'd struggle to change practice in the 2 weeks or so leeway you might have between finding out you are pregnant and needing to be referred for an abortion.

You’re right, it’s different. There’s a big difference between “we don’t perform this procedure” and “we don’t accept a patient who is a particular type of person.”

That assumes you have a choice of surgeries and services, that the policy was in place before you joined and that the full implications were clearly explained - no proper reproductive services available.

The local area health trusts should not be giving tax payer funded contracts to businesses knowing they will not provide one of the most basic functions of that service.

Would they contract in GP businesses which refused deliver other aspects of basic primary care "on principle"? Perhaps psychiatric services, diabetic clinics, or vaccinations?

That’s disgusting. What surgery is it? Don’t protect them!

I think the pro life notice is a clear indication that they won't sign an abortion referral form. Two medical practitioners have to sign a form permitting an abortion. Commonly a GP signs and the clinic providing the abortion service endorses.
If a GP is pro life, they won't want to sign the form endorsing. Being referred to a doctor who will is a simple matter. If you care to look at the guidelines this is allowed for.
I'm sorry if you think health care professionals shouldn't be allowed to hold this view but that's the law and abortion is facilitated by referring on.

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

I strongly disagree with this. I believe abortion must be available to women. But I also agree Drs should be able to opt out of providing this service. Allowing this is a reasonable recognition that this is not healthcare like other healthcare, as it uniquely involves the ending of a human life.

Just like I am staunchly in favour of euthanasia and assisted suicide and if these are ever made legal in the UK that will be a great day. However, I also strongly believe that Drs should be able to opt out as assisted suicide and euthanasia are not healthcare like other healthcare as they involve ending a human life.

I personally believe that assisting me to die at a time of my choosing is part of the healthcare package that I want from our healthcare service, but I also have a (non-religious) medic friend who strongly believes that that this is not part of healthcare. She sees it as separate and that medics should preserve, not end, life The system has to allow respect for both views.

Medics should not be required to facilitate the end of human life if this is against their principles.

None of your other examples involve ending human life. See above my post on euthanasia and assisted suicide. If these were legal I don't believe medics should be forced to participate in this either. When healthcare involves deliberately ending human life, exemptions should apply.

Your anger should really be focussed on the PCT not the individual GPs. Its the PCT or local Health board or whatever is it called where you live who commission services and are responsible for ensuring access to services to the population.

@Honestlymade
"When healthcare involves deliberately ending human life, exemptions should apply."

They do. The doctor merely has to refer the patient to another HCP.

What does this mean though? People might well be theoretically anti abortion or anti IVF, morning after pill etc but find themselves in a situation where they end up choosing that anyway. Your doctor shouldn't be a bar to accessing healthcare.

I know.

I was responding to those who were arguing GPs should not be allowed to be pro-life as they are not providing full healthcare.

My former GP is a pro life Dr but he would refer on fast tracking you he was honest with me when I said I was keeping my unplanned pregnancy and said he hated making those referrals but everyone has a choice it was only abortion he referred on he was happy with contraception and comfortable with the morning after pill oddly enough