Qld: Hospitals suspend abortions on legal advice

AAP General News (Australia)
08-21-2009
Qld: Hospitals suspend abortions on legal advice

BRISBANE, Aug 21 AAP - Queensland public hospitals have stopped performing medical
abortions and are directing women interstate for the service in the wake of doctors' legal
concerns.

Health Minister Paul Lucas says the government is now looking at making law changes.

A 19-year-old woman charged with procuring her own miscarriage will face a Cairns court
in September after using a smuggled pill to abort her foetus.

Her 21-year-old boyfriend is also charged with attempting to procure and supply drugs
to procure an abortion.

The case - as well as a September 2008 Supreme Court ruling on another matter dealing
with Section 282 of the Criminal Code that allows doctors to lawfully perform a surgical
abortion to preserve the life of the mother - has doctors fearing prosecution for prescribing
abortion drugs.

Public hospitals on Wednesday suspended medical abortions on legal advice, and women
seeking them are being directed interstate.

Mr Lucas said Queensland Health was speaking with a number of obstetricians and gynaecologists
at Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital - the facility that carries out the majority of
medical abortions - to clarify their concerns.

But Mr Lucas said he was not aware of any investigation or prosecution against Queensland
Health doctors over the matter.

He said Section 282 of the Criminal Code provided "a defence for medical practitioners
performing any surgical procedures performed with care and skill".

But he said it did not make specifically clear that all medical procedures are similarly treated.

"The government is currently examining clarification of this provision," Mr Lucas said
in a statement.

"This would impact on medical treatment generally.

"Section 282 of the Criminal Code does not refer to abortion.

"Any legislative change would be considered with a view to clarifying the law generally,
not to increase or decrease the number of terminations in Queensland."

Further comment is being sought from Queensland Health.

Deputy Opposition Leader Lawrence Springborg said he didn't believe the government
proposed only minimal changes to abortion laws.

Mr Springborg said the government had gone back on its word on the state's fuel subsidy
and selling public assets, and changed its stance on laws decriminalising altruistic surrogacy
by extending them to same-sex couples.

"This government breaks its promises, it's got a trifecta there," he said.

"We don't trust this premier, who actually has a not-so-secret agenda of abortion on
demand law reform."

Mr Springborg said the opposition would consider the matter of pill-induced abortion
when it looked at the legislation.

"If it simply gives proper intent and back-up to what the law is thought to provide
at the moment, then that's a totally separate issue and we can see no reason why that
wouldn't be supported," he said.

"If this premier wants to roll it up with her extreme left wing agenda, to actually
bring in abortion on demand in some way, it's the thin end of the wedge, that's a totally
different issue."

AAP gd/pjo/sn/apm

KEYWORD: ABORTION UPDATE

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