A HEALTH board in Scotland has said it would not want automatic provision of buffer zones around all abortion facilities due to fears it would “just draw attention to them”.
In response to a letter from Alice Murray from Back Off Scotland - a campaign group calling for the implementation of protest buffer zones around abortion clinics in Scotland - NHS Grampian said that while it supports the “principle of safe zones” it does not want them to be enacted automatically.
The board secretary of NHS Grampian, Sarah Duncan, said: “We are mindful of the need not to draw attention to facilities where protesters might not be gathering at the moment so NHS Grampian would not want automatic provision of a buffer zone around all facilities as this would just draw attention to them.
😳 Received this from NHS Grampian. Their position on bzs is now essentially: we don’t want people to know where we are providing abortions in because it might encourage protestors to start targeting the sites. This is a disgraceful abdication of duty to protect patients/staff. pic.twitter.com/P7TNEN7T80
— Back Off Scotland (@backoffscotland) August 19, 2022
"We can see the desirability of having a process to apply for a zone to be implemented if required.”
The First Minister is set to convene a second summit to discuss buffer zones on August 29. At the first summit in June Nicola Sturgeon called for Edinburgh and Glasgow to consider becoming “test councils” to restrict protests and vigils around sexual health clinics and hospitals.
However, Aberdeen has also been subject to anti-abortion protests outside its maternity hospital.
Lucy Grieve, co-founder of Back Off Scotland, said that NHS Grampian’s response was “an absolute disgrace”.
She told The Scotsman: “Abortion is a legal healthcare procedure, and protests taking place at the gates of healthcare facilities create real barriers to accessing care.
"We’ve heard from hundreds of women and staff across Scotland – including Aberdeen – who have been affected having had to run the gauntlet of these anti-choice groups at clinics and hospitals. NHS Grampian’s position on safe access buffer zones is an absolute disgrace.
“Not only have they stated that harassment doesn’t occur in any of their locations, and ignored repeated requests to meet with patients who have experience of this, their position is now essentially: we don’t want people to know where we are providing abortions in NHS Grampian because it might encourage protestors to start targeting the sites.
“This is clearly a reason in itself to legislate for buffer zones around all facilities that provide the services so that patients and staff aren’t targeted at any point in the future.”
Responding to the backlash a spokesperson for NHS Grampian said: “We are fully in support of the principle of safe access zones.
“While we recognise the right to peaceful protest, there is also the right of our service users to receive care without fear or intimidation.
"We have suggested safe access zones not be automatically implemented, as this could advertise where abortion services are provided and draw protestors to those sites.
"We have had regular correspondence with Back Off Scotland and are open to continuing that dialogue with them."
Scottish Greens MSP Gillian Mackay’s consultation on her private members bill to introduce 150-metre buffer zones across the whole of Scotland closed at the start of the week.
