Printed from: https://archive.cmf.org.uk/news/?id=14
The British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), Britain’s leading abortion provider, has become the subject of controversy after a Telegraph exposé revealed that they have referred women to Spain for abortions after the UK legal limit of 24 weeks.
A heavily pregnant reporter contacted BPAS for information about terminations, asking whether she could obtain a late abortion in this country. In one telephone conversation with an adviser, having said that she was 25 weeks pregnant, she was told to contact the Ginemedex clinic in Barcelona. When questioned about the legality of post 24-week abortions in Spain, the adviser answered, ‘it’s not unillegal’.
However, Spain’s laws on late abortion are stricter than the UK. Here, an abortion can be carried out before 24 weeks for ‘social’ reasons; after 24 weeks there must be a serious fetal abnormality or grave danger to the mother’s life or health. In Spain, an abortion after 22 weeks is only legal where the mother’s health is in grave danger. Staff at Ginemedex admitted to the reporter that they ‘play with the laws a little bit’. When she travelled there under the pretence of wanting a termination, a member of staff told her they ‘put on the paper that there was a gynaecological emergency, that is [covered] under the law’. She also said that 80% of their patients were British - the majority referred by BPAS, with whom the clinic have ‘very, very close contact’.
BPAS have been keen to defend themselves against the allegations. Chief Executive Ann Furedi compared referring women abroad with Irish women who travel to England for terminations. Her logic is fallacious, however, as the referrals to Spain were against both UK and Spanish law. She argued that BPAS did not run the clinics, or encourage women to use them, and asserted that they were not ‘breaking [English] law in any way’. BPAS see it as part of their service to provide the woman with access to abortion whenever they legally can. One of Ann Furedi’s frequent comments is that abortion should be available ‘as early as possible and as late as necessary’.
Health Secretary John Reid has launched an investigation into the actions of BPAS: ‘If there is evidence that the will of Parliament is being thwarted and that the law of a fellow European country is being broken by an organisation in receipt of public money this would be a very serious situation indeed.’ Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe has also called for BPAS to be closed down.
Speaking at a London conference in November, Ann Furedi said that access to 20-24 week abortions needs to be improved. BPAS carries out 80% of post 20-week terminations, but is often unable to meet demand so refers people abroad instead. She said that health professionals were becoming increasingly reluctant to carry out such procedures.
Source: Telegraph 2004; 10 October, Guardian 2004; 25 November, bbc.co.uk 2004; 26 NovemberSteven Fouch (CMF Head of Communications) 020 7234 9668
Alistair Thompson on 07970 162 225
Christian Medical Fellowship (CMF) was founded in 1949 and is an interdenominational organisation with over 5,000 doctors, 900medical and nursing students and 300 nurses and midwives as members in all branches of medicine, nursing and midwifery. A registered charity, it is linked to over 100 similar bodies in other countries throughout the world.
CMF exists to unite Christian healthcare professionals to pursue the highest ethical standards in Christian and professional life and to increase faith in Christ and acceptance of his ethical teaching.
