Decisions and submissions
BMA decides
The British Medical Association (BMA) has reaffirmed its opposition to assisted suicide with a vote at its annual conference in Belfast (21 June). Two CMF members, Mark Pickering and Will Sapwell, were prominent in the debate and the final vote was 198 to 115. Peter Saunders, CMF CEO, commented that neutrality is 'the worst of all positions' and the margin of the defeat 'surely means this matter should be settled for the foreseeable future.'
Abortion and conscience
We encouraged CMF members to participate in the parliamentary inquiry into freedom of conscience over abortion. The deadline for submissions was 11 July as CMF News went to press. Fiona Bruce MP is the prime mover in the inquiry which seeks to examine whether the Conscience Clause in the 1967 Abortion Act provides adequate protection for doctors and other healthcare professionals who do not wish to be involved in termination of pregnancies. There are worries that freedoms envisaged in the Act are being eroded. See CMF Blogs for details.
Recent submissions
Some recent CMF submissions: All Party Parliamentary Group on Global Health (February 2016), Nuffield Council on Bioethics on Genome Editing (February 2016), Nuffield Council on Bioethics: Cosmetic procedures (March 2016), NHS Public Consultation on Gender Identity Development Service (April 2016).
Three-parent embryos spin
The media 'spin' on the recent UK decision to treat women with inheritable mitochondrial disorders claimed that it is both safe and effective. Not according to careful research findings. The decision leaves many ethical dilemmas and confirms concerns about safety, which US research has highlighted.
NIPT consultation
CMF is responding to the call from the Nuffield Council on Bioethics for views and evidence on non-invasive prenatal testing. The Council will explore the ethical, legal and regulatory implications of recent and potential future scientific developments in non-invasive prenatal testing, including its use in both the NHS and commercial services. A report from the working group is expected towards the end of 2016.
NIPT measures fetal cells present in the mother's blood which is claimed to be 99% accurate in detecting Down Syndrome and fetal sex. At stake here is that if it is possible to predict all potential disabilities in unborn children, it will open the door to increased demands from parents for terminations, not only on grounds of disability but for other spurious reasons, including the sex of a child.
Farewell Andrew
After five years as CMF Media Producer Andrew Horton leaves us this summer to join the staff of Tearfund. Andrew has made a huge contribution to CMF, both with his video and photography skills and his go-to contributions to our Communications Team. We wish him (and Rhiannon) God's blessing in this new stage.
Other staff appointments
Philip Martin succeeds Andrew Horton as Senior Digital Producer and Sean Gilmore succeeds Wai Ting So as Resources Coordinator. There will be more information about them in the next issue of CMF News.
