Doctors call for abortion on demand as BMA votes to decriminalise terminations for first time ever

Abortion should be decriminalised, medics at the British Medical Association (BMA) have said.

Delegates at the BMA's annual meeting in Bournemouth voted in favour of a motion calling for a change in the law.

This means the BMA will adopt this stance as formal policy and lobby ministers for a change in legislation.

At present the law permits abortion up to 24 weeks of pregnancy. But if there is a substantial risk to the woman's life or foetal abnormalities, there is no time limit.

Two doctors must ensure that the requirements of the Abortion Act are met before an abortion can take place. The topic received heated debate among the 500 medics at the meeting.

Some medics said that abortion is a medical decision and not a criminal one. They said a change in policy supports the rights of women.

But others raised concerns about decriminalisation putting vulnerable women at risk, sex-selective abortion and professional regulation.

Dr John Chisholm, chairman of the BMA's medical ethics committee, said that the motion was not about time limits, saying that the BMA supports current time limits on abortion.

Dr Coral Jones, who presented the motion, said: "We must respect women and have trust in women to make decisions for themselves and their families."