Doctors should make any pro-life views clear, says ethics expert

Women will have to ask their doctor’s views on abortion if changes to the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill demanded by medical ethicist Dr Donal O’Mathuna are made.

Dr O’Mathuna said the referral dimension of the proposed legislation needed to make it very clear that a pro-life doctor would not have to refer a patient to another doctor who was pro-choice.

He said doctors should be able to make a conscientious objection, not just to performing an abortion, but to indirectly helping a woman gain access to an abortion in another way.