Documents to download

The Conscientious Objection (Medical Activities) Bill seeks to clarify the extent to which a medical practitioner with a conscientious objection may refrain from participating in certain medical activities, namely withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment and activities under the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 and the Abortion Act 1967. Statutory exemptions for conscientious objection already exist for two of the medical activities the Bill aims to cover. The Abortion Act 1967 provides a statutory exemption for individuals who have a conscientious objection participate in abortion. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 already provides an exemption for practitioners wishing to rely on their conscientious objection. Doctors, Nurses and Pharmacists are bound to practice in accordance with standards set by their respective statutory regulatory bodies, namely the General Medical Council for doctors, the Nursing and Midwifery Council for nurses, and the General Pharmaceutical Council for pharmacy professionals. Each body has provided guidance for practitioners for when faced with a situation where they may not wish to participate due to their conscientious objection.

This Briefing provides background information on the Bill and explores the existing law and guidance on conscientious objection in relation to medical activities.


Documents to download

Related posts

  • Cardiovascular disease: What is the government doing about England’s leading cause of premature death?

    Premature deaths from cardiovascular disease were decreasing until 2019, but have since risen. The government has said it aims to reduce premature deaths from heart disease and strokes by 25% within a decade. While local authorities must commission ‘health checks’ to assess risk factors in 40- to 74-year-olds, the National Audit Office found variable delivery, uptake and regional inequalities. Health organisations have called for a dedicated strategy on cardiovascular disease.

    Cardiovascular disease: What is the government doing about England’s leading cause of premature death?
  • NHS staff access to single-sex spaces

    The House of Lords is due to discuss NHS staff access to single-sex spaces on 1 May 2025. Following a recent Supreme Court judgment about the meaning of the term ‘sex’ in the Equality Act 2010, the Equality and Human Rights Commission issued an interim update on 25 April 2025 about the implications of this for workplaces and services provided to the public.

    NHS staff access to single-sex spaces