MPs want to drop second doctor's signature for abortion

doi:10.1136/bmj.39386.700949.DB

From trainee to consultant, BMJ Group offers doctors around the world tailored information, special events, learning resources and recruitment services at every step along their career path.

... by doctors, for doctors, for patients
We are open for entries!

Online learning

BMJ Learning

High-quality CME / CPD for doctors and other healthcare professionals. BMJ Learning features hundreds of accredited, peer-reviewed learning modules in text, video, and audio formats. Find out more

Courses and Qualifications

BMJ Masterclasses

BMJ Masterclasses, led by experts, help clinicians to use the latest evidence and recent guidelines in practice and meet their CPD/CME requirements. Find out more

Exam Preparation

The leading provider of online exam preparation, helping over 167,000 healthcare professionals to pass their exams. Find out more

onExamination

Search all BMJ news articles:

From

The BMJ iPad app brings you the best of print and online, including live links to the latest news, blogs, video, and podcasts. Get the BMJ iPad app.
Countdown to London 2012: BMJ Group's Olympics portal highlights latest Olympics and sports medicine-themed research, comment and learning
Keep up to date with cardiology: Access the latest cardiovascular medicine resources from across BMJ Group.
Our online table of contents is updated at least twice each day. Read all articles published in the last 7 days.
OPEN ACCESS: All research articles are freely available online, with no word limit. Find out more about the BMJ's open access policy. Submit your paper.

Access to the full text of this article requires a subscription or payment. Please log in or subscribe below.

Adrian O'Dowd

Margate

Only one doctor's permission should be necessary for a woman to have an abortion, rather than the current UK legal requirement for two, MPs have recommended.

The 24 week time limit for abortions to take place should be kept, the MPs also recommended in the newly published report from the parliamentary Science and Technology Committee on whether abortion laws need updating.

The report, which focuses on issues capable of scientific evaluation rather than ethical considerations, says that the MPs are concerned that the requirement for two signatures to allow an abortion could be causing delays in access to abortion services and found no evidence of its …