We received a petition asking:
“We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to protect healthcare worker rights of conscience by Law”
Details of Petition:
“In the USA many states have passed laws that protect doctors from adverse consequences that might arise as a result of refusing to participate in medical services that would be contrary to their consciences. For example the Illinois Healthcare Worker Right of Conscience Act protects healthcare providers from all liability or discrimination that might occur as a result of “his or her refusal to perform, assist, counsel, suggest, recommend, refer or participate in any way in any particular form of healthcare service which is contrary to the conscience of such physician or healthcare personnel.” In the UK we are currently under legal obligation to refer patients to colleagues whom we must know will provide the service to which we have an objection through conscience: This situation is unacceptable. In view of increasing pressure from abortion and euthanasia organisations; doctors, nurses and ancillary health care personnel in the UK urgently need to be protected likewise by a law similar to the Illinois Healthcare Worker Right of Conscience Act.”
· Read the petition
· Petitions homepage
Read the Government’s response
The Department of Health is committed to safeguarding the welfare of patients.
Currently, the only areas where doctors have a legal right to claim a conscientious objection are to participate in abortion under the Abortion Act 1967 and activities licensed under the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990.
With regard to abortion, Section 4 of the Abortion Act 1967 provides that, except where treatment is necessary to save the life of, or prevent grave permanent injury to, the pregnant woman, ‘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’.
The House of Lords ruled in 1988 that this exemption does not extend to giving advice, performing the preparatory steps to arrange an abortion where the request meets legal requirements and undertaking administration connected with abortion procedures.
With regard to the regulated healthcare professionals, the relevant regulatory body issues guidance to its registrants, subject to their respective statutory provisions.
The Government does not consider that a change is necessary to the current situation regarding healthcare workers’ right of conscience.
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