GP urged to call police after patient he sent away has abortion at 28 weeks

The 22-year-old woman requested a termination in February, when she was 28 weeks pregnant, but the doctor told her it would be illegal.

She was referred for counselling to the British Pregnancy Advisory Service - a charity which also runs private abortion clinics.

Several weeks later she returned to the surgery about a different matter and was no longer pregnant. All she would say was that she 'had it sorted privately'.

The GP, concerned that an illegal abortion had been carried out, sought guidance from colleagues, who have advised him to tell police.

More than 90 per cent of babies born at 28 weeks in Britain survive.

The present limit on abortions for 'social reasons' is 24 weeks, but there is growing pressure for it to be cut as medical advances have dramatically increased the survival rates for babies born between 20 and 24 weeks.

Abortion is permitted up to full term only if the baby is at risk of being born with a severe disability or the pregnancy places the mother at risk of significant harm.

The GP, who is remaining anonymous-voiced his concerns on the doctors website doctors.net.uk.

He said: "I feel decidedly uneasy about what has happened here.

"It doesn't seem right that, as far as her medical record is concerned, the baby vanished without explanation."

He added: "My examination, followed by an ultrasound that clearly states 28 weeks, constitute evidence that she was past 24 weeks. For someone to have taken money to perform an illegal and damaging service cannot be condoned and if I let this go I am condoning it."

The GP's postings prompted dozens of responses from fellow doctors urging him to tell police.

It is not known whether the woman went to BPAS for advice and there is no evidence that the charity arranged the abortion.

It also remains unclear whether complications arose which would have made the termination legal in this country or whether she had the procedure abroad.

Ann Furedi, chief executive of BPAS, said last night she had yet to be contacted by police but insisted the charity would have nothing to hide.

She said: "I can state categorically-that, if her gestation was shown by a scan to be later than 23 weeks and five days, she would not be able to have her pregnancy terminated."

Julia Millington, of Alive and Kicking, an anti- abortion campaign group, said: "Opposition to late abortion among the public, parliamentarians and the medical profession has never been stronger. This matter must be investigated by the police."

British clinics are allowed to provide contact details of overseas doctors who carry out late abortions but cannot refer women for the treatment.

In 2005, a Department of Health report criticised BPAS for too readily giving out such contact details.

MPs will debate the legal limit for abortions next month when the Commons considers a Private Member's Bill from Tory Ann Winterton.