Free Conscience Campaign

UK's campaign in support of conscience rights for all medical professionals.

[Free Conscience Campaign @medconscience]

"Is it legal for a British doctor to refuse to perform an abortion? More broadly, in today’s U.K., does conscientious objection still hold for medical practitioners? Recent U.K. court decisions seem to suggest that the law is unclear." #freeconscience https://t.co/T4Qyf9uICF

[Free Conscience Campaign @medconscience]

Committee Stage debate on Baroness O'Loan's Conscientious Objection (Medical Activity) Bill ended with Lord Steel's wrecking amendment being withdrawn. See our live tweets for a detailed account of the proceedings - video highlights soon. #freeconcience #conscientiousobjection

[Free Conscience Campaign @medconscience]

@maryfordneal Lord Steel withdrew his amendment, so it wasn’t voted on. That section of Committee Stage is now finished, and so it will continue another day.

[Free Conscience Campaign @medconscience]

Lord Steel’s wrecking amendment is now withdrawn! The Committee Stage of the Bill will continue another week. #freeconscience #conscientiousobjection

[Free Conscience Campaign @medconscience]

Lord Silkin, when he introduced the #Abortion Act into this House in 1967, characterised the conscience clause that had been by then incorporated, as the “clause which permits doctors, nurses and other staff to opt out of the Bill”. #freeconscience #conscientiousobjection

[Free Conscience Campaign @medconscience]

As Lord Steel speaks, worth remembering the scope of his original conscience clause: “No doctor, nurse, hospital employee nor any other person shall be under any duty... to participate in any operation authorised... to which they have a #conscientiousobjection”. #freeconscience

[Free Conscience Campaign @medconscience]

Baroness Thornton wrongly asserts that the Bill does not improve the situation of conscience rights. She claims that “assertion is not evidence”, yet all she has is assertion, without evidence! #freeconscience #conscientiousobjection

[Free Conscience Campaign @medconscience]

Baroness Barker claims wrongly, without evidence, that the Bill would “frustrate” & “threaten” medical care. No. It. Would. Not. She has no basis for asserting that, & what she says is utterly false, & her opposition is profoundly mistaken. #freeconscience #conscientiousobjection

[Free Conscience Campaign @medconscience]

Baroness O’Loan: These amendments would undermine the Bill, and she invites those who forward them to meet with her so as to settle their concerns. Patient autonomy & conscience rights are not mutually exclusive. #freeconscience #conscientiousobjection

[Free Conscience Campaign @medconscience]

Baroness O’Loan: Those who want to provide medical care to sustain life should not be coerced & discriminated against in a tolerant and inclusive society. We need a proper modern law of conscientious objection. #freeconscience #conscientiousobjection

[Free Conscience Campaign @medconscience]

Baroness O’Loan: This Bill would only require reasonable accommodation for the small number of medical professionals within the NHS. We can afford and manage to accommodate people who believe some activities destroy human lives. #freeconscience #conscientiousobjection

[Free Conscience Campaign @medconscience]

Baroness O’Loan: A person who would have an objection could easily have deputies who could facilitate services they could not. It is certainly feasible to allow #freeconscience without compromising services, which are still Government duties. #conscientiousobjection

[Free Conscience Campaign @medconscience]

Baroness O’Loan rightly sums up against the amendments by saying that this Bill would not force anything into patients, or withdraw treatment from patients. Parliament has the right to correct actions by the @UKSupremeCourt. #freeconscience #conscientiousobjection

[Free Conscience Campaign @medconscience]

Baroness O’Loan: NHS clearly has capacity to reasonably accommodate the small minority of conscientious objectors, & this Bill would secure those feeling comfortable to enter obs/gyn, midwifery, etc. at a time of shortage. #freeconscience #conscientiousobjection

[Free Conscience Campaign @medconscience]

Lord Alton of Liverpool cites @maryfordneal: “The core purpose of conscience provisions are to protect people from things they regard as wrong. Current law fails to do that“. Original intention of the #Abortion Act 1967 was to do just that. #freeconscience #conscientiousobjection

[Free Conscience Campaign @medconscience]

Baroness Tonge says that “there is no need to go into obs/gyn when you will object to #abortion”. Lord Alton replies that there should be scope within the service so that people can serve women & not engage in abortion. #freeconscience #conscientiousobjection

[Free Conscience Campaign @medconscience]

Lord Alton of Liverpool brings up the key phrase in this debate: ‘reasonable accommodation’. This Bill is about allowing us to live together with inclusive tolerance. Cites Mary Doogan: “this is not about religion, but about conscience”. #freeconscience #conscientiousobjection

[Free Conscience Campaign @medconscience]

Lord Alton of Liverpool rightly refutes intolerant view by Baroness Tonge that anyone who disagrees with #abortion should just ”leave the service”. How many good medical professionals would we lose? #freeconscience #conscientiousobjection

[Free Conscience Campaign @medconscience]

Lord Winston: “Our autonomy as medical professionals can be compromised”, and this is important to note. #freeconscience #conscientiousobjection

[Free Conscience Campaign @medconscience]

Lord Winston says “we can’t have a narrow view”, & there are ways of making services work. #freeconscience #conscientiousobjection