1 in 3 GPs say no to abortion at surgeries

A third of GPs would refuse to work in a surgery that offers abortions, new figures show.

A poll of 480 doctors by GP newspaper found that 33 per cent would not work where abortions were carried out.

It comes as primary care trusts across the country are preparing to offer medical abortions to women who are less than nine weeks pregnant in surgeries and polyclinics from spring.

A woman having an early medical abortion would make two trips to the surgery, hours or days apart, to take pills which induce a miscarriage.

Under current laws the pills can only be administered at licensed sites. But the Government is keen to make it easier for women to get the procedure.

A spokeswoman for the department of health said: "This is an extremely small survey of 480 GPs out of the 40,000 plus GPs working in the UK."