Government under fire for incentivising more ‘lunch hour’ abortions

Right To Life UK has denounced plans by the federal government to supply financial incentives to abortion providers to conduct “lunch-hour” or “same-day” abortions.

At present plenty of Christian activists face penalties and even criminal sanctions for allegedly influencing women while in abortion clinic buffer zones. Yet in keeping with Right To Life, inside abortion clinics themselves women are subject to what amounts to high pressure sales tactics by abortion providers, who’re paid for each abortion conducted.

As things stand abortion providers are paid for every a part of the abortion process they supply – the consultation, the scan and the abortion itself. Now, nonetheless, the federal government has said it can give a bundled payment to abortion providers who cover all parts of the method. The government has explicitly stated that that is to incentivise providers to do all parts of the method in sooner or later.

Right To Life argues that this provides women less time to contemplate their decision and can exacerbate the already strong pressures on women to have an abortion.

The group said, “There can be already evidence of a high-pressure environment in abortion clinics where women might be rushed into abortion decisions,” with the Care Quality Commission previously accusing MSI Reproductive Choices of a “cattle market culture” during which staff felt pressured to make sure women went ahead with abortions.

Inspectors have reportedly found evidence of abortion clinics encouraging high-pressure sales tactics, including calling women who’ve decided against an abortion in an effort to offer them one other appointment.

Catherine Robinson, spokesperson for Right To Life UK, said, “Women facing an unplanned pregnancy need time, care and support, not a system that provides abortion clinics a financial incentive to rush them through consultations, scans and abortions on the identical day.”

She added, “With abortions in England and Wales already at a record high of virtually 300,000 in a single 12 months, the final thing our country needs is an excellent greater expansion of abortion provision that’s more likely to drive those numbers higher.”

Dr Calum Miller, an NHS doctor and research associate on the University of Oxford specialising in abortion policy, said: “Abortion services see some very vulnerable women and girls, including those that could also be experiencing abuse, coercion, sexual exploitation or fear. A model built around getting every little thing done inside a lunch break or on the identical day can leave less time to discover those concerns properly.

“There are also essential clinical concerns that arise with these proposals. Pre-abortion assessments are there to examine whether extra support or referral is required, whether the lady has her dates right, and whether there might be an ectopic pregnancy. If the system is designed around completing the method in a compressed timeframe, there’s an actual risk that assessments intended to maintain women secure are cut short.”

The changes have also been condemned by each Labour and Conservative figures.

Labour MP, Mary Glindon, said, “It is concerning that the federal government is now offering financial incentives for abortion providers to fast-track the abortion process. Both pro-life and pro-choice advocates should have the ability to agree that girls need adequate time to make such a momentous decision.” 

Conservative MP, Sir Edward Leigh, commented, “The government seems intent on ever more extreme laws regarding life and death issues. 

“Having just waved through abortion as much as birth proposals tabled by one in all its own MPs with minimal scrutiny and against the need of the general public, it beggars belief that abortion providers may now be allowed to learn financially from rushing women into abortions.

“Are abortion providers now writing government abortion policy?”