Examination of Witnesses (Questions 158-159)
DR VINCENT
ARGENT, DR
TONY CALLAND,
LIZ DAVIES
AND KATHY
FRENCH
17 OCTOBER 2007
Chairman: I apologise to our witnesses
and members of the public that we are slightly late starting this
morning. May I welcome our first panel of witnesses to the select
committee: Dr Vincent Argent, a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist,
Dr Tony Calland, Chair of the British Medical Association's Ethics
Committee, Liz Davies, Director of UK Operations at Marie Stopes,
and Kathy French, Advisor in Sexual Health from the Royal College
of Nursing. We are being televised this morning. Could I ask for
any declarations of interest from members of the committee, please.
Dr Harris: I am a member of the BMA Medical
Ethics Committee and my partner works in sexual health policy
in this area.
Q158 Chairman: Dr Calland, may I
start with you? Why do we need two doctors' signatures?
Dr Calland: The BMA feels that
for first trimester abortions we no longer need them. For second
trimester and later abortions, because the risk of the procedure
is greater, therefore we feel that for those later abortions two
doctors' signature should remain. Particularly for very early
abortions and those carried out through medical treatment rather
than surgical treatment in the first trimester, because the risks
of that procedure are now so smalland you can argue about
itand probably less than continuing with the pregnancy,
we ask why you need two doctors to sanction a procedure that is
of very small risk indeed, and much less risk than perhaps an
operation where you do not need two signatures.
Q159 Chairman: For first trimester
you do not see there is the need; for second trimester, you do
see the need?
Dr Calland: Yes.
Dr Spink: I want to ask a specific matter
of Dr Calland. I can accept in the first trimester the medical
conclusion that you come to, but you represent the Ethics Committee
at the BMA and we are dealing with human life here. From the ethical
rather than the medical viewpoint, do you think there is a need
to continue to retain a significant barrier so that women can
be sure that they are getting the best possible advice before
making this decision to end life?
Chairman: May I say that we are not dealing
with the ethics within this committee and in this inquiry. We
are dealing purely with the scientific basis on which we need
to two doctors' signatures, Bob.
Dr Spink: We have invited a BMA ethics
representative.
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