British doctors face jail over fake abortion consent

London, March 24 (IANS) The British government has warned that doctors who were found illegally carrying out abortions by faking consent forms would be put behind bars.

The warning was issued after it emerged that one in five clinics investigated by the health watchdog was routinely breaking the law by not complying with official guidelines, the Daily Mail reported.

The inspectors discovered that some doctors were signing consent forms allowing women to undergo abortions without knowing anything about their circumstances or why they wanted the procedure. This breaches Britain's Abortion Act.

By law, a woman can only undergo an abortion once two doctors have signed a form declaring that continuing with the pregnancy would put her physical and mental health at risk.

Over the last two weeks the Care Quality Commission, the watchdog, has been undertaking spot check inspections of around 250 abortion clinics in Britain.

In a statement to parliament, Health Secretary Andrew Lansley has pledged to take swift action and also warned that offending clinics could be shut down.

A Department of Health spokesman confirmed that doctors could face jail for breaching the Act.

Lansley ordered the inspections after an undercover investigation found that some doctors were apparently authorising abortions for women just because the foetus was a particular sex, which is against the law.

Dutch man seeks child with father's sperm

London, March 24 (IANS) A childless man in the Netherlands has turned to his father for his sperm after having failed to conceive with his wife despite three years of their marriage.

The couple has found a clinic which will honour their unusual request, the Daily Mail reported.

According to researchers in the journal Human Reproduction, while such arrangements have potential advantages over using donations from strangers, they do bring their own set of complications, such as confusion over the child's actual parent.

In this case, the child produced from this union of egg and sperm will have a "father" who is his biological half-brother and a "grandfather" who is his biological father.

There are varying views on the issue. But most experts agree so-called intra-familial assisted reproduction should not necessarily be banned.

"I don't know that laws should encompass forbidding intra-familial donation," said Adrienne Asch, director of the Centre for Ethics at Yeshiva University in New York City.

But couples who request it "should be very carefully counselled about the psychological pitfalls that could await them", said Asch.

What will you miss during foreign tour

London, March 24 (IANS) While touring a foreign country what things would you miss the most? Parents, children, or homecooked food? Britons admit to yearning for favourite television shows, home cooking and perfect cup of tea when they are abroad.

The survey, commissioned by Alison Tennant of the Believe in Gloucester campaign, found British holidaymakers start to miss home four days and 14 hours into a foreign break, the Daily Express reported.

The researchers found over half were unable to detach from their home life while on holiday. Drinking tap water without worrying was a big issue for 40 percent while one in 10 admitting missing their job.
It was found over a fifth made at least four calls home, a third ringing on the first day. Many were desperate to check on pets.

The study of 2,200 people showed one fifth of Britons moan when abroad. Swimming pools are most likely to trigger complaints, followed by mosquitoes, bad food - and other tourists.