Doctors' guild attacks poll

BY A STAFF REPORTER AL SURVEY of 2,000 doc tors' opinions on abortion published by the New Humanist Magazine was criticised this week by Dr. J. G. Frost, secretary of the Guild of Saints Luke, Cosmas and Damian.
National Opinion Polls found that 46 per cent of doctors wanted the law left as it is, 26 per cent believed abortions were obtained too easily and 24 per cent supported easier abortions.
Dr. Frost said it would be impossible to substantiate the magazine's comment that "Catholic doctors are ready to obstruct actively in every way the performance of abortion. Most of us try to talk patients out of an abortion, but we have responsibilities under the law. so we refer them to a consultant gynaecologist."
He thought the high number of doctors the survey found favouring the present law rather high, contradicting his own experience of opinion among non-Catholics.
POLEGATE MARCH An anti-abortion march in Polegate, Sussex, on Sunday was led by Lord Longford, Malcolm Muggeridge and Fr. J. W. Flanagan, parish priest. Later they addressed an audience in St. George's Hall and after a discussion of the moral. social, psychological and legal aspects of abortion, the meeting called upon all parishes to hold public protest meetings for the repeal of the Abortion Act. They called upon all bishops to follow Shrewsbury and Leeds in making available the resources of the diocese to help mothers who might otherwise want an abortion.
Also, it appealed to the Government and local authorities to ensure that doctors and nurses declining to take part in abortion operations do not suffer hardship from their decision.
At the annual general meeting of the Portsmouth Diocesan Branch of the Catholic Women's League the diocesan chaplain Fr. David Mahy said the offer of practical help to distressed pregnant women was one of the best works that members could be involved in. It was a positive approach to the problem of abortion.