Catholic Medical Quarterly Volume 74(2) May 2024
News of the CMA,
from our CMA Newsletter Feb 2024
Dear CMA Member,
The number and type of our activities is steadily
increasing. We hope that you will find some or all of them helpful and be
in a position to attend/support.
CMA response to the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists recent guidance for healthcare professionals on involving the police following abortion and pregnancy loss.
In keeping with a gradual move towards the decriminalisation of abortion, the RCOG has issued guidance on how healthcare professionals should approach the question of involving the police or external agencies where criminality associated with abortion is suspected. The RCOG state that "it is never in the public interest to in- vestigate a patient who is suspected of ending their own pregnancy, a view endorsed by over 60 organisations and professionals".
Clearly any woman who has chosen to end her pregnancy under criminal circumstances must be in a desperate and vulnerable situation and should be treated with great sensitivity and understanding. At the same time however, the RCOG statement does raise important ethical and legal questions which require careful consideration. The CMA is currently preparing a position statement on the matter. You may also wish to respond individually. Please find below links to the announcement of the guidance made in January followed by the full statement. These should be helpful both with informing you about the issue and in preparing any response you may wish to make.
Healthcare Ethics Teaching
Healthcare Ethics in
Stockport/Manchester
On February 10th, the ethics teaching day was attended by a small number in Stockport who found the event worthwhile. We plan to continue to hold similar days around the country on anongoing basis.
St Mary's University Ethics Course
Plans are ongoing to develop this course which should hopefully begin in the 2025 academic year.
King's, London Chaplaincy Online Bioethics for Students Only
Run by Laurence Jasper, lay chaplain at King's in association with the
Anscombe Centre for Bioethics, this excellent course is held on Monday
evenings from 7-8pm and covers the current major areas which will be of
interest to healthcare students.
To apply to join the course which is
free of charge, please email Laurence Jasper using your university email
account:
laurence.jasper@kcl.ac.uk
Retreat at Worth Abbey & Pilgrimage to Walsingham 2024
The Worth Abbey retreat is set for Friday May 31st - Sunday June 2nd.
The Walsingham pilgrimage weekend is set for Friday October 18th - Sunday
October 20th.
Bookings for both will be going live soon and we will
notify you of details.
Annual Symposium - The Ethics of Public Health Medicine & Me Common Good. Venue - St Mary's University, Twickenham - Saturday April 6th
We have assembled a distinguished array of speakers. This promises to be an engaging and informative event. We will have reportson the day in our August edition.
The CMA & CMMS (Catholic Medical Missionary Society) AGMs
These will take place at St Mary's on the morning after the conference, Sunday April 7th from 9 - 11am followed by Holy Mass in the College Chapel. All CMA members are most welcome to attend.
CMA Youth Conference November 9th in London
We are currently booking speakers and organising activities for a major youth conference in November. We will notify members when arrangements are finalised. In the meantime, please begin to spread the word in the approximate 18 - 40 age group. This conference is open to members and non-members alike.
Wishing everyone a fruitful lent God bless
Dr Mike Delany President
CMA UK