23 March 2012

Spot Checks Find Abortion Consent Forms Being 'Pre-Signed'

Spot checks at more than 250 abortion clinics has found that some doctors are breaking the law by "pre-signing" abortion consent forms.

The law currently states that, except in emergencies, two doctors must agree for a woman to have a termination, however the government has said the checks found evidence of blank forms being signed in anticipation of patients seeking a termination.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) carried out the inspections in England after being ordered by health secretary Andrew Lansley.

Lansley said: "I am shocked and appalled to learn that some clinics - which look after women in what are often difficult circumstances - may be allowing doctors to pre-sign abortion certificates. This is contrary to the spirit and the letter of the Abortion Act.

"The rules in the Abortion Act are there for a reason - to ensure there are safeguards for women before an abortion can be carried out. To protect women the right checks and balances must be in place.

"The CQC has agreed to undertake unannounced inspections to identify the scale of this problem. And we will set up a special team comprising of all the necessary regulators and the department to look at how we stamp out bad practice in abortion clinics."

(H)