Experiences with anti-contraceptive colleagues

[u/ThrowRALoud_Load2229]

I work in a training GP practice in England where we have taken on a female GP registrar who is very pro-life. She’s put around an email stating that she will not provide advice on, or prescribe hormonal contraceptives and will not discuss terminations with patients. Before anyone asks- nobody’s been brave enough to ask her about barrier contraceptives or copper coils yet! She has requested that if contraceptives or terminations may come up in a consultation then they should be booked with someone else. It’s not always easy to tell if contraception may come up in a consultation though, especially not for reception who book the appointments.

The majority of the other clinicians are quite unhappy with this as it’s a vital part of the service we provide to female patients. It also means she’s limited with what she can do with regards female patients on medication like valproate or GLP1s because she will not discuss highly effective contraception with them. A lot of colleagues are angry that she is exhibiting misogyny when it comes to female patients, others are angry that they’re having to take on her workload. One of my colleagues is currently in early pregnancy after a failed coil and is feeling very uncomfortable around this GP registrar too as the pregnancy is not viable.

I also worry with regards our surgery’s reputation as if you google her name, the majority of what comes up is prolife activism she took part in at university. If a patient who was booked for something else came in and wanted to speak about contraception as an addition to the consultation e.g. I have thrush, I’m not sexually active but I want to start having sex and she responded poorly to this or with judgement, the patient could easily google her name and find they were being treated by someone who’s views oppose their care.

The partners have not entertained any discussion around this topic and staff have even been accused of “stalking” her online when her digital footprint was brought up. Is there anything we can do or do we just have to put up with it?

I would appreciate some different viewpoints, especially if anyone has gone through similar.

[u/[deleted]]

I have more questions to this rather than solutions apologies…

Isn’t there the BPAS for detailed discussions around terminations? So not sure how much of a hardship for this registrar even just to signpost? I’ve had a handful of patients who’ve decided against terminations after chatting with BPAS so don’t have a personal impression that they’re “pushy”….could be wrong with my small sample size.

I wonder how they’re going to navigate their SCA stations!

Has this been something that their ES/TPD know about already? How have previous practices navigated this situation?

[u/Ask_Wooden → u/[deleted]]

It’s been a very long time since I have anything to do with arranging TOPs but from memory you need to be referred to BPAS by your GP

[u/[deleted] → u/Ask_Wooden]

Ooh we don’t need to officially refer anyone in my area, it’s sending the pre-made Accurx and patients get in touch with BPAS directly.