GPs 'refuse to sign abortion forms'

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According to the poll by the doctors' newspaper Pulse, nearly one in five GPs do not believe abortion should be legal.

And 55% of the 309 GPs questioned said they wanted the current 24-week limit for abortions to be reduced.

The law in the UK states that two doctors need to sign a form referring a female patient for an abortion, to show that the woman meets the grounds that make abortion legal.

The most common reasons for abortion within 24 weeks relate to the woman's physical or mental health. But 24% of GPs questioned said they would not sign abortion referral forms and 19% did not believe abortion should be legal.

The findings have provoked concern amongst women's health experts. Dr Robbie Foy, clinical senior lecturer at Newcastle University, who has conducted research on abortion, said that current access to abortion services are "a lottery for women".

"We must provide reliable, secure and non-judgmental care. Many women are still not getting this at present and face unacceptable delays which increase the risks of complications as well as causing additional anxiety," he said. "Any sort of trend towards more doctors refusing to participate in induced abortion will risk marginalising this essential service."

But Ann Furedi, chief executive of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, a sexual healthcare charity specialising in abortion services, does not believe the survey accurately reflected GPs' opinions as it polled less than 1% of the UK's 40,000 GPs.

"Pulse's findings differ from weighted, representative UK public opinion poll results which have shown majority support for safe, legal

A spokesman for the Department of Health said: "If GPs feel their beliefs might affect the treatment, this must be explained to the patient who should be told of their right to see another doctor."