Todd says she takes doctors’ buffer zone concerns seriously

The women’s health minister has said she will arrange a meeting with doctors as she replied to a letter signed by 76 consultants in Scotland demanding “urgent action” be taken around anti-abortion protest buffer zones.

Maree Todd MSP said she was “dismayed” to hear about the anti-abortion protests happening outside the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, which saw over 100 anti-choice protesters gather outside.

She spoke as Nicola Sturgeon stressed she did not think protests should be allowed outside hospitals.

Campaigners and doctors have urged the Scottish Government, the First Minister and Ms Todd to implement buffer zones around abortion providers to protect women accessing healthcare. Last month 76 doctors, including leader signatory Dr Greg Irwin, signed a letter calling on Ms Todd to “show courage” and introduce protest free ‘buffer zones’ across all clinics providing abortion care in Scotland.

Responding to the letter, Ms Todd said she took the concerns raised by the doctors “very seriously”, adding she was “committed to finding a permanent solution that will address them”.

A draft member’s bill on buffer zones brought forward by Green MSP Gillian Mackay is expected to be published by mid this month. However, this could take more than a year to implement.

Ms Todd said she would be “very happy to discuss this further” and had asked her office to arrange a meeting with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

Dr Irwin has welcomed the minister’s letter, but is “begging” her to take urgent action.

Campaign group Back Off Scotland has urged Ms Todd to enact emergency legislation as it is understood a draft letter advocating an ‘emergency summit’ around abortion buffer zones is to be sent to the minister next week.

Ms Sturgeon separately said she wanted to make progress around anti-abortion buffer zones “as quickly as possible”.

"For those who take a very different view on abortion to me – I am very passionately prochoice and always have been – it is entirely legitimate for peopletotaketheoppositeviewand it is entirely legitimate for peopletoprotestagainstabortion,” shesaid."mymessagewouldbe if you want to protest against abortion, come here to Parliament and do it where the laws are made."