Cash settlement for woman who changed mind on abortion

[ismnotwasm]

This is an awkward case, and the article does not make clear what actually happened;

"An NHS hospital trust has agreed to pay £27,500 compensation in an out-of-court settlement with a mother of three for aborting her unborn baby against her will and ignoring her attempts to withdraw her consent.
Teresa Cooper, 40, was worried that an E coli infection and antibiotic treatment she had a few weeks into her pregnancy after developing bleeding and nausea might have harmed the baby.

Unable to get answers, she reluctantly signed the consent form for an abortion at Princess Alexandra hospital in Harlow, Essex, in November 2003. But in the two days between signing the form and the day the termination was scheduled, she watched an anti-abortion video which reinforced her doubts.

She went to the hospital on the day, saying that she was only having the abortion for medical reasons and questioning whether the procedure would be traumatic for the foetus. She still got no answers but was taken to theatre upset and tearful, according to her medical notes."

http://society.guardian.co.uk/health/news/0,,2137623,00.html


My reading of the article is that consent WAS obtained, (Another article on the same woman has this title; "Mother who 'did not consent' to abortion wins £27,000 payout") the woman arrived to the clinic to have the procedure, and was dissatisfied with the counseling she received. She evidently did not meet with the surgeon.(?)The hospital felt they could have done better as well, and settled the case. Anybody know anything about this? I'm not getting it. She subsequently wrote her "memoirs" detailing a somewhat tragic life. I think this is a type of forced birth propaganda, although the women in question has my sympathies, I'm curious as to why this is UK news.

[Katherine Brengle]

1. Hmmm... tough one.

I'd say that ultimately, if she wasn't dragged into the operating room, then she consented. If she had doubts, she should have voiced them and waited until she was sure.

However, I can sympathize to a degree. I lost a pregnancy in January, the mc was incomplete and I had a d&c - but they never showed me the ultrasounds that showed my baby had no heartbeat. I know it was true, but I think I deserved to see it.

I think they did it to spare me the pain, but it would have been nice to see my baby, dead or alive, at least once before s/he was gone forever.

Dammit now I'm sad :(.

[Ilsa]

2. The hospital probably was not at fault, for those reasons

already listed here. My guess is that she was upset, maybe unsure, but still consenting, so they thought she wanted the abortion, and I suspect she did.

I think if I was a nurse there, I would have recommended to the doctor that the procedure be delayed, if possible for a couple of days until the patient had calmed down and had no lingering doubts.

I'm trying to imagine why anyone contemplating having an abortion would watch anti-choice propaganda prior to having her D&C or whatever procedure. I wonder how true this part is.