British Doctors Favor Cutting Late-Term Abortions From 24 Weeks to 20
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
May 20, 2008
London, England (LifeNews.com) — Just ahead of a vote in the British Parliament, a new poll finds a majority of doctors say they favor cutting the time limit on late-term abortions. The web site Doctors.net.uk conducted the poll and found physicians support the campaign by some MPs to tighten the abortion limits.
The survey found 54 percent of doctors want the abortion limit dropped to 20 weeks from the current 24 weeks into pregnancy. Another 15 percent added they would support moving the limit to 22 weeks.
Dr. Tom Ringrose, who operates the web site, told the London Daily Mail, "A majority of doctors clearly want to lower the upper time limit for abortions."
"The Internet poll of 210 doctors found only 31 percent wanted the abortion limit to stay at 24 weeks," he said.
Tory MP Nadine Dorries, the MP who is leading the effort to reduce late-term abortions to 20 weeks told the newspaper the survey shows strong support for her measure.
"The 20-week campaign gathers wider support day by day. I very much hope that MPs will today vote in a way which ensures that Parliament represents the will of the people, and not the individual political preferences of MPs," she said.
Dorries said she hopes MPs will vote to cut abortions to 20 weeks and save the lives of 2,500 babies in England. A cut to 22 weeks would only save 100 lives annually.
"Twenty-two weeks is meaningless," she told the Daily Mail. "Large numbers of babies will still be aborted in a barbaric manner, they will still feel pain, and although it will be a victory in as much as the tide will have turned, it will mean that the 20-week campaign will carry on until we meet 20 weeks."
While the poll found most doctors want the abortion limits reduced, the British Medical Association is opposed to Dorries’ measure.
