Should abortion be available without needing two doctors to sign it off?
Under the Abortion Act 1967, abortion in England, Scotland and Wales is lawful only if two doctors agree in good faith that legal grounds are met, generally up to 24 weeks. The Crime and Policing Act 2026, which received Royal Assent in April 2026, removed women from prosecution for ending their own pregnancy in England and Wales but left the two-doctor rule unchanged. In Poland, the Sejm voted on 20 October 2026 to ease restrictions, but the president is expected to veto the bills.
40 Opinions
This was a really hard question, but one which I felt I could not duck. I feel the law should stay as it is in the interests of the woman who should hear from more than one voice as a support, this may come across wrong but I feel only women and indeed women doctors should deal with this, because they are best placed on this matter, simply by biology.
I think the window during which abortion is allowed should be cut to 20 weeks, but it should be made easier in that period
Maybe the two doctors are the only people she can talk to. 🤍
The two signature requirement hasn’t prevented any procedure taking place. It may be true that it’s the only ‘procedure’ requiring signatures from two doctors, however sectioning someone requires two medical recommendations and an approved mental health professional. Multi disciplinary teams are also mandated in cancer care.
One doctor is enough, the most important signatory is the woman making a decision about her own body.
Two doctors should be required to have met and discussed the issue with any woman who wants to kill her baby.
To ensure it is not open to abuse, a counter signature is important for life changing decision.
I am not religious but save when a pregnancy might harm a mother I think abortion is a life style election. I find the idea that ‘women can choose’ to murder a child once an embryo is formed abhorrent & murder. And Labour’s change to the law to allow abortion up to birth is manifestly evil. At very early stages women can be vulnerable so there has to be a medical fail safe.
Needing two doctors to sign off on an abortion - but no other type of medical procedure - is archaic and controlling, rooted in the idea women are too stupid to make a decision for themselves or they are delicate flowers to be protected. Not everyone wants a child, contraction doesn’t always work (even tubal ligations and vasectomies sometimes fail!) and regret rates for abortions are extremely low. We should remove bureaucratic barriers to accessing basic healthcare.
24 weeks is too late in pregnancy in my opinion, that needs amending. However, on an already overpopulated planet, with the UK children's care system in a mess, women should have the right to choose for themselves without the need for an outdated requirement like this.