Professor Kieran Murphy:

We feel that the principles underlying a decision are similar whether the situation is an emergency or not. We believe that the same procedures should apply in all situations.

With regard to the second question about the guidance, it is important for members to understand that the ethical guide is a dynamic document. It is continually being refined. Since the publication of the ethical guide in 2009, the seventh edition, the council issued further guidance earlier last year on the interaction between doctors and industry which many Members will have seen. As medicine constantly evolves the guidance that the Medical Council offers doctors changes.

With regard to the specific point on abortion, as I mentioned earlier, all doctors work within the law of the land. The Supreme Court judgment changed the law of the land and the guidance the Medical Council offers to doctors, to which they are required to adhere, reflects the current legal position.