The UK doctors facilitating gender-based abortions
Doctors at British clinics have been filmed agreeing to terminate foetuses based on their sex
Doctors at British clinics have been filmed agreeing to terminate foetuses based on their sex
Health Secretary Andrew Lansley has launched an urgent investigation after British doctors were secretly filmed granting women illegal abortions based on whether the unborn baby is male or female.
The footage has shown doctors prepared to falsify paperwork to arrange the abortions, even though it is illegal to conduct sex-selection procedures in the UK.
'I'm extremely concerned to hear about these allegations,' says Mr Lansley. 'Sex selection is illegal and is morally wrong. I've asked my officials to investigate this as a matter of urgency.'
Cynthia Bower today resigned from the NHS watchdog Care Quality Commission saying: 'CQC are supposed to ensure the abortion clinics operate according to the law. What they need to do is get on top of this situation as soon as possible.'
Meanwhile, leading fertility expert Gillian Lockwood, former vice chair of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists ethics committee, has described the revelations as disturbing.
'Every clinician working in the field in the UK is very well aware that a foetus being the wrong gender is not grounds for termination under any circumstances.'
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MPs have raised concerns over the growing commercialisation of abortion clinics and David Cameron and Mr Lansley are under pressure to accept proposals that women should receive independent councelling before a procedure.
Just last year, the Council of Europe recommended member states stop telling parents the gender of their baby over concerns about sex-selection. Many hospitals have now stopped disclosing this information.
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