TWO doctors have offered their support to two Catholic mid-wives who have launched a legal bid against Scotland's biggest health board to avoid overseeing abortions.

Dr Donogh Maguire and Dr Alison Crawford claim there is a "strong argument" for clinicians to be able to conscientiously object to supervising staff involved in the procedure.

Mary Doogan, 57, and Concepta Wood, 51, midwifery sisters at the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow, have taken NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to the Court of Session in Edinburgh over the issue.

They claim they should not be required to delegate, supervise or support staff in the participation and care of patients through "the processes of medical termination of pregnancy and feticide".

Their case has the support of Dr Maguire and Dr Crawford, who also claim women having abortions should be kept separate from those giving birth.

In a letter to The Herald, they write: "Obviously, no woman undertakes the process of abortion lightly. It strikes us as counter-intuitive and inappropriate to care for women undergoing an abortion in such close proximity to women undergoing normal delivery.

"According to the Nursing and Midwifery Council guidelines, the law does not give an interpretation of 'participation in treatment'.

"However, direct and vicarious responsibility require that the person in charge of running the labour ward is accountable for all care delivered during his or her shift.

"Surely, therefore, there is a strong argument for the rights of the clinician to conscientiously object to delegate and supervise staff undertaking direct involvement in abortion procedures."

The couple, from Glasgow, also praised the midwives for the treatment they received from them at the Southern General when their son was born five years ago. They added: "Both of these midwives impressed us with their professionalism and team management. They were simply excellent."

Ms Doogan, 57, and Ms Wood, 51, claim a change introduced by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde in 2007 meant all patients undergoing a medical termination were to be treated and cared for in the labour ward and all staff members were required to provide care for patients through a termination, including labour.

They raised a grievance with their employers and asked to be able to conscientiously object to overseeing women undertaking abortions, but their appeal was rejected.

They are now seeking to have this decision overturned in a judicial review, claiming they believe that termination of pregnancy is wrongful and an offence against God.

Gillian Smith, director of the Royal College of Midwives in Scotland, said: "This has been going on for years and I think we need a little clarity on the issue and we would certainly welcome any judgment that gives us this.

"We fully support a midwife's bona fide right to conscientiously object to carrying out the procedure, but it remains to be seen whether this should apply to supervising the care of women during and after it."

She added: "These two women are not just midwives, they are clinical co-ordinators and they have a responsibility to offer guidance to junior members of staff and it certainly could cause problems if junior midwives go to a supervisor for help and they have decided to conscientiously object."

Counsel for the NHS board added that the action relates "to a question of public importance" and is likely to affect many cases arising in the future.

A ruling on the case will be given at a later date.