Conscience plays an important role in medicine. Health providers have the right to freedom of thought and should have significant scope to act according to their conscience in their work. But we should not extend this freedom to the legal right to refuse, with impunity, to provide care that constitutes standard practice.

I will present a number of cases of potential conscientious objection to help refine a definition, ensure consistency, and avoid discrimination.

I argue that on balance the harm to patients outweighs the harm to objectors of having to comply with standard practice.   Presenter: Angela Ballantyne