Poland has reminded doctors that abortions are legal in some cases after the country’s strict laws on the practice were linked to a pregnant women’s death.
The guidance was issued on Sunday, a day after mass protests over the death.
The 30-year-old woman died of sepsis 22 weeks into her pregnancy, which had complications.
Her family say life-saving care was delayed because doctors feared breaking Poland’s restrictive abortion laws.
A controversial court ruling last year imposed a near-total ban on abortion in Poland. Abortion is now permitted only in cases of rape or incest or when pregnancy threatens a mother’s health or life.
On Sunday, Poland’s health ministry clarified the latest legal regulations and medical recommendations on abortion in response to the mother’s death.
The guidance says if a mother’s life or health is at risk, doctors “must not be afraid of making obvious decisions” about abortions.
The woman, named Izabela, died in September but her family’s lawyer brought the case to wider attention this month.
The lawyer said doctors had been aware of severe foetal defects but refused to perform an abortion because a heartbeat could still be detected. The mother sent a text saying her fever was rising and she was worried about going into septic shock, which then led to her death.
“I hope that I don’t have septicaemia, otherwise I will not make it,” the mother wrote. “It’s dreadful. And I have to wait.”
The hospital has said its decisions were based on concern for the health of the mother and foetus.
However, the family’s lawyer argued that the tighter restrictions on abortion meant that doctors waited too long to act.
The doctors have been suspended and prosecutors are investigating.
Poland’s nationalist government blamed the woman’s death on medical error and said it had nothing to do with the new law.
IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES
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Protesters blamed the woman’s death on Poland’s restrictive abortion laws
But protesters say there will be similar cases in the future unless the law is changed. Huge protests against the law were held in dozens of Polish cities on Saturday.
Tens of thousands of people demonstrated in the capital Warsaw, where chants of “Her heart was beating too” and “Not one more” were heard.
Katarzyna Kotula, protest organiser and opposition politician, said: “This is what we call the frozen effect – the doctors will be afraid to perform abortions.”
A devoutly Catholic country, Poland already had some of Europe’s most restrictive abortion laws.
An estimated 200,000 women have abortions illegally or travel abroad for the procedure every year.
Assistant Chief Constable Ritchie said: “For such a highly significant event, to reach the end of the first week with fewer than 50 arrests being made is testament to the fact the relationship between protesters and the police has been largely non-contentious.
“This event has already provided us with some unique challenges, but our officers and staff have risen to face them, and the broadly good nature of the members of the public we are interacting with has made this a widely positive experience.
“I very much hope this atmosphere continues into the second week ahead of COP26 coming to its conclusion.”
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Police Scotland arrested 21 scientists on Saturday who chained themselves together and blocked a road bridge over the River Clyde
Assistant Chief Constable Ritchie told BBC Radio’s Good Morning Scotland a small group of socialist activists were contained during Saturday’s three-mile march through Glasgow because they were slowing down other marchers and failing to follow police instructions.
About 10,000 officers are being deployed in Glasgow each day during the UN climate summit.
In one of the largest policing operations undertaken in the country, officers have been drafted in from across Scotland and from police services around the UK.
Further action
More protests by campaigners are planned for the second week of the summit.
About 40 Extinction Rebellion protestors laid down outside the offices of an assets management company in the centre of Glasgow on Monday.
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Protestors are lying down in front of the offices of an assets management company in Glasgow
Some of the protestors covered themselves in makeshift shrouds and have described their protest as a “die in”.
They are targeting the company Mercer because they say it invests in fossil fuel companies.
Scientists Rebellion, the group which chained themselves to George V Bridge in Glasgow on Saturday leading to 21 arrests, has said it will be back at the same location later to do a “teach-in” protest.
A cabinet minister has backed calls for the rules on MPs’ consultancy jobs to be reviewed, in the wake of the row over Tory MP Owen Paterson.
Mr Paterson was found to have used his position to lobby for two firms paying him – reigniting debates over MPs’ outside employment.
International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan said it would be “wise” to revisit the issue of second jobs.
But she rejected a blanket ban, arguing Parliament would lose out as a result.
It comes ahead of a three-hour emergency Commons debate later, when MPs will debate the process for investigating their conduct.
The debate has been granted after a request by the Liberal Democrats, who are calling for an independent inquiry into “Tory sleaze”, while Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has called on Boris Johnson to apologise.
The government continues to face criticism for its botched attempt to redraw the process and block Mr Paterson’s suspension from Parliament.
Mr Paterson has since quit Parliament and stepped back from his consultancy work, for which he was earning £100,000 a year on top of his MP’s salary.
He has denied breaching Commons lobbying rules, and said the process for investigating him was unfair.
His departure will trigger a by-election in the North Shropshire seat he has held since 1997.
Conservative MP Richard Graham questioned on why he voted to pause Owen Paterson’s suspension
His resignation last week came after the government blocked a proposal to suspend him for 30 days and review the whole investigation system, before backtracking after an outcry from opposition parties and some Tories.
The sanction was recommended by the Commons Standards Committee following a report by Parliament’s standards commissioner Kathryn Stone that found he had repeatedly breached Commons rules banning “paid advocacy”.
This rule prevents MPs from lobbying for companies – although critics of the system point out there is no general ban on MPs taking jobs as consultants or advisers from firms hoping to influence the lawmaking process.
What to look out for later at MPs’ debate
Do Tory backbenchers show publicly the anger many have felt privately after they were forced against their better judgement to vote on Owen Paterson’s case and changes to the rules, before the government abandoned the attempt anyway?
Do supporters of Owen Paterson and critics of the parliamentary standards commissioner take the opportunity to criticise her publicly?
And does the Speaker intervene to start a process that could lead to the Commons rules changing?
He’ll decide at lunchtime whether to make a statement, and then will probably listen to the debate before reaching a conclusion.
The prime minister will not be taking part – with Downing Street saying he has a “long standing commitment” to visit a hospital.
Instead, Cabinet Office Minister Stephen Barclay will be sent out in the opposition-inspired debate.
However, there won’t be a vote on any change to the rules – so the debate might have few practical consequences.
Asked on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme whether the rules governing MPs’ consultancy jobs should be re-examined, Ms Trevelyan replied: “Personally I think we should look at that. I’m very comfortable with looking at that.
“I have no problem with that at all. Personally I think it would be wise,” she added.
However, she said she did not favour a blanket ban on second jobs, because Parliament would “lose hugely” if MPs were prevented from taking roles such as being a doctor or nurse.
And backbench MP and Tory party deputy chairman Justin Tomlinson said there should be “greater transparency” and “stricter rules” for MPs to restore trust in Parliament.
Speaking to BBC Radio Wiltshire, he added: “I think the majority of MPs have woken up to this, and we will see cross-party consensus on making sure that we strengthen standards.”
At the last election, Labour proposed banning MPs from taking paid second jobs, with “limited exemptions to maintain professional registrations like nursing”.
The Committee on Standards on Public Life – an advisory body set up in 1994 after the “cash-for-questions” scandal – has also previously recommended a ban on MPs working as consultants and paid political advisers.
Separately, the Commons Standards Committee is also conducting its own review of MPs’ conduct rules and how they are enforced.
Labour MP Chris Bryant, who chairs the committee, told the Today programme they hoped to publish draft recommendations before Christmas.
What did Owen Paterson do?
IMAGE SOURCE,HOUSE OF COMMONS
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Owen Paterson watched on in the Commons as MPs debated whether to suspend him
Owen Paterson has been a paid consultant for clinical diagnostics company Randox since 2015 and to meat distributor Lynn’s Country Foods since 2016, earning a total of £100,000 a year on top of his MP’s salary.
MPs are allowed to have these jobs, but are not allowed to be paid advocates – using their influence in Whitehall for the company’s gain.
IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES
