News, The Mental Capacity Act 2005 comes partially into effect at the beginning of April 2007, and the Daily Mail reports on serious concern from several doctors opposed to elements in the Act which would give legally binding force to living wills and healthcare powers of attorney. Dr Peter Saunde...

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The Mental Capacity Act 2005 comes partially into effect at the beginning of April 2007, and the Daily Mail reports on serious concern from several doctors opposed to elements in the Act which would give legally binding force to living wills and healthcare powers of attorney. Dr Peter Saunders of th...

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An influx to the UK of over 500,000 immigrants from Eastern Europe has led to a surge in demand for antenatal services and abortions, BBC reports. A doctor in Luton whose practice registers 400 new patients a month, the vast majority of them from Eastern Europe, is currently dealing with double the ...

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weekly update, 22 to weekly update, 22 to An analysis of Britain's 1967 Abortion Act published in the Journal of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care has suggested that it is legally permissible for unsupervised nurses to perform abortions. Vincent Argent, a consultant gynaecologist an...

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News, An analysis of Britain's 1967 Abortion Act published in the Journal of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care has suggested that it is legally permissible for unsupervised nurses to perform abortions. Vincent Argent, a consultant gynaecologist and Lin Pavey, a former manager of a BPAS ...

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News, The Catholic bishops of Peru have declared that 25 March, the Solemnity of the Annunciation, will be celebrated as the Day of the Unborn. In its statement, the Family and Defence of Life Commission of the bishops' conference stressed the urgency of defending pre-born human beings. A number o...

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A study published in this month's issue of the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management reports that hospice care may prolong the lives of patients. Among the patients being studied, suffering from one of six terminal illnesses, the mean survival was 29 days longer for those who chose hospice care tha...

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Abortions by nurses is doctors' dirty work, says SPUC Abortions by nurses is doctors' dirty work, says SPUC Westminster, 26th March 2007--A call for nurses to perform abortions has been condemned by the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) as "getting nurses to do doctors' dirty ...

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weekly update, 14 to 21 March weekly update, 14 to 21 March A bill that would have required a teenager's parents to be notified before she was given an abortion or contraceptive advice has been defeated in the House of Commons by 159 votes to 87. Such laws in the US have been shown to halve the ...

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A bill that would have required a teenager's parents to be notified before she was given an abortion or contraceptive advice has been defeated in the House of Commons by 159 votes to 87. Such laws in the US have been shown to halve the number of teenage abortions. Mrs Angela Watkinson, the bill's sp...

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News, A bill that would have required a teenager's parents to be notified before she was given an abortion or contraceptive advice has been defeated in the House of Commons by 159 votes to 87. Such laws in the US have been shown to halve the number of teenage abortions. Mrs Angela Watkinson, the b...

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News, British charity Mencap has accused the National Health Service of indifference towards patients with learning disabilities after they reported that six patients had been left to die in NHS hospitals through negligence because they were disabled. One case involved a 43-year-old man who could ...

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British charity Mencap has accused the National Health Service of indifference towards patients with learning disabilities after they reported that six patients had been left to die in NHS hospitals through negligence because they were disabled. One case involved a 43-year-old man who could not spea...

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Lord (David) Steel, the author of the 1967 Abortion Act, has endorsed a campaign for the law to be changed to allow abortion on demand in early pregnancy. The campaign was launched last Saturday by the Abortion Rights group. [Guardian, 8 March] Anthony Ozimic, SPUC political secretary, commented: "W...

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News, The Portuguese parliament has voted to allow abortion on demand in early pregnancy. The vote followed last month's referendum, in which a majority of those who voted (though not of eligible voters) agreed with allowing the change. The law is expected to be signed by Portugal's president, tho...

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News, The Washington Times has published a feature article detailing the effects of sex-selective abortion in India. Journalist Julia Duin reports that the illegal practice of using ultrasound to determine the sex of unborn children and then aborting females has led to serious gender imbalance, wi...

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weekly update, 1 to 8 March weekly update, 1 to 8 March In its statement to the 51st session of the Commission on the Status of Women [Holy See Mission, 2 March ], the Holy See delegation highlighted issues of prostitution, forced marriages and sex selective abortion. "[A]bortion, often consider...

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The Washington Times has published a feature article detailing the effects of sex-selective abortion in India. Journalist Julia Duin reports that the illegal practice of using ultrasound to determine the sex of unborn children and then aborting females has led to serious gender imbalance, with 814 g...

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An IVF specialist has accused the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) of colluding with the BBC in an undercover documentary about his clinic. After the programme was broadcast, allegations were made that some patients were being misled into trying expensive, untested treatment and M...

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News, An IVF specialist has accused the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) of colluding with the BBC in an undercover documentary about his clinic. After the programme was broadcast, allegations were made that some patients were being misled into trying expensive, untested treatme...

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