Greg Daly
Bishop Kevin Doran has said he is unsurprised by reports that regulators have caused one of Britain’s leading abortion providers to suspend several services.
Following surprise inspections from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) which raised concerns about safeguarding and consent, Marie Stopes has decided to suspend abortions under general anaesthetic and abortions for vulnerable women and girls under the age of 18. The leading abortion provider has also announced that it is ceasing all surgical abortions at its Norwich centre.
The limitations will mean that 250 abortions that would normally take place in Marie Stopes clinics each week will take place elsewhere. Last year 185,824 abortions were carried out in England and Wales, according to government figures released in May, with 68% of these being taxpayer-funded abortions carried out by private bodies.
“I’m not at all surprised to hear that large areas of Marie Stopes’ abortion business have been closed down due to concerns about patient safety,” Dr Doran said, continuing, “after all, their whole business is based on lack of respect for human life.”
The CQC had said it was concerned about poor governance arrangements, which, it said, had caused “specific immediate concerns” about consent and safeguarding, noting also that it was dissatisfied with the training and competence of Marie Stope staff carrying out abortions under conscious sedation or general anaesthetic.
Decision
In a statement, the CQC said it and NHS England were working with Marie Stopes International to make sure women were “protected from potential harm when undergoing pregnancy terminations”.
The regulatory body has said Marie Stopes’ decision to suspend the services was “appropriate”, and that it would continue to monitor the services once reinstated.
The British government has also said it will not permit any further Marie Stopes clinics to open until the CQC is satisfied that problems at Marie Stopes have been resolved.
Marie Stopes has announced that although its clinic in Belfast is not subject to the CQC, the same restrictions being implemented across England will also apply in the North, where non-surgical abortions are permissible up to nine weeks under certain conditions.
Bernadette Smyth, Director of Precious Life, has called the CQC report “damning”.