Baroness O’Loan also claimed young healthcare professionals are leaving the UK as they cannot carry out certain tasks, arguing there is a need to “reestablish legal protection” for medical conscientious objections.
The Crossbench peer’s Conscientious Objection (Medical Activities) Bill – which is being supported by the Free Conscience campaign – would apply to the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment, human embryo research and activity linked to preparing, supporting or performing an abortion.
But her proposal split the Lords, with Labour’s Baroness Young of Old Scone among those voicing their opposition and describing it as “unnecessary and potentially dangerous” given existing protections.
Lady O’Loan, moving her Bill at second reading, said: “It simply can’t be consistent with conscience to say ‘I cannot do this but I will you order you to do it’.
“If one delegates, supervises or supports an activity then one is not unreasonable in concluding that one shares moral responsibility for what happens.
“And there’s a lot of evidence that medical professionals are suffering serious disadvantage and discrimination for their beliefs.
“A 2016 ad hoc cross-party inquiry into freedom of conscience and abortion provision specifically received many accounts by medical professionals who have experienced discrimination during…
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