Harris welcomes BMA call for early abortion law reform

12.35.59pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 27th Jun 2007

Dr Evan Harris MP (Liberal Democrat Oxford West & Abingdon) who moved the motion on reducing barriers to early abortion on behalf of the Oxford Division and is a member of the BMA Medical Ethics Committee, said:

"The medical profession has spoken very clearly about the need to reform abortion law in respect of early termination - in particular to recognise that early abortions should be made available on the basis of informed consent rather than requiring the permission of two doctors or the need to meet specific medical criteria. Doctors have also urged no restrictions on access to later terminations, while still judging that everything possible should be done to ensure that abortions which are needed are done as early as possible.

On the narrow rejection of the proposal that trained nurses and midwives should be able to carry out first trimester abortions, Dr Harris said:

"I'm not surprised that doctors are cautious about ceding some of their territory at a time when they feel under pressure, but am sure that Parliament will make its decision on the basis of safe, effective and efficient practice and not on the basis of artificial professional boundaries."