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Do doctors and hospitals have to provide abortion services? |
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Although abortion is legal there is no law which requires the NHS to
provide abortions. Where sufficient NHS services are not available many
women can only get abortions if they pay for them. The Department
of Health encourages Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) and the relevant
medical authorities to improve both the speed and quality of NHS-funded
provision. The overall percentage of NHS-funded abortions in England
and Wales rose from 50 per cent in 1991 to 78 per cent in 2002;
however, there are still wide variations throughout the country,
ranging from more than 90 per cent in some areas to less than 60 per
cent in others.
Even in areas with good service provision, women may be obstructed by
doctors who do not agree with abortion. A 1999 Marie Stopes
International (MSI) survey found that about 18 per cent of GPs were
opposed to abortion in some way.
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