Marie Stopes abortion clinics put mothers in danger as well as unborn children

Just before the end of 2016 the Care Quality Commission (CQC) released its report in the Marie Stopes International (MSI) abortion clinics. These clinics perform around 70,000 abortions each year. The Daily Telegraph described it as a "damning report". The Guardian’s headline stated that “Marie Stopes UK abortion clinics put women at risk”.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) had earlier last year raised concerns about the conduct of these abortion clinics. This led to Marie Stopes International having to suspend specific types of abortions between 19th August and 7th October 2016. Abortions for under-18s and vulnerable groups of women, along with all surgical terminations under general anaesthetic or conscious sedation and all surgical terminations at its Norwich centre were suspended. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) issued four warning notices to Marie Stopes International, in response to regulatory breaches. Twelve reports were published on Tuesday 20th December in their conduct.

In this reports the Care Quality Commission (CQC) found that staff at Britain’s biggest abortion provider tried to give a vulnerable woman an abortion even though she did not understand what was going on and that they handled the consultation "poorly and insensitively". Inspectors were also forced to intervene as the patient with learning disabilities became distressed. The care watchdog further described horrific scenes which left patients at risk of infection, with human tissue from a succession of abortions left in open waste bins, in one clinic.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) have said the abortion provider was failing to ensure rules on consent were followed. At one clinic, in Norwich, doctors were found to be “bulk signing” up to 60 consent forms at a time, with little indication that they were familiar with a patient’s situation. At another, in Sandwell, West Midlands, inspectors found “poor and insensitive” handling of a patient with learning difficulties who did not understand what was going on.

A Marie Stopes International (MSI) abortion clinic has been operating in Northern Ireland since 2012. Bernadette Smyth, the director of Precious Life, the leading pro-life group, has called for the inspection of the Marie Stopes clinic in Belfast. This clinic operates under the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA). This authority had previously stated that it was waiting the findings of the CQC’s report.

The conduct of these clinics and this abortion provider is summed up in the works of Proverbs 12:10: A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel. How cruel and degrading is the conduct of those who perversely claim to be seeking the welfare of women. Abortion is the murder of the unborn. Now it is the case that those women who are seeking abortions are being ill served in other ways as well.

Related links:
Care Quality Commission - CQC publishes inspection reports on Marie Stopes International

Daily Telegraph -Watchdogs release damning reports on Marie Stopes abortion clinics

Guardian - Marie Stopes UK abortion clinics put women at risk, says CQC