WOMEN’S Health Minister Maree Todd has visited staff at a health centre targeted by disruptive anti-abortion protesters. 

Christian preachers have staged noisy demonstrations outside the Sandyford clinic in Glasgow’s West End twice in the past month. 

Both times, the health board say, the men with loudspeakers have hectored people entering the facility and prevented staff from doing their job. 

The SNP politician said women "must have the right to access abortion without fear or intimidation."

Ms Todd said the government "strongly" supported the introduction of buffer zones, but needed to find a way to bring them in that was "capable of withstanding legal challenge."

The Sandyford clinic, which provides a range of “sexual, reproductive and emotional health services”, including counselling for rape, sexual assault, sexual abuse, and childhood sexual abuse, was targeted most recently on Wednesday. 

While there have been increasingly large protests outside hospitals across Scotland in recent months, it is the first time in years that anti-abortion campaigners have come to the clinic. 

The first demonstration prompted Back Off Scotland, who have long campaigned for buffer zones, to call for Ms Todd to resign.

“This is being allowed and emboldened under her watch,” they said. 

Last week, Green MSP Gillian Mackay launched a consultation on her member’s bill that if approved, would put in place 150m zones around healthcare facilities that provide abortions. 

The Scottish Government has yet to formally support Ms Mackay’s proposals.

In November last year, ministers said it would be for councils to pass bylaws to protect specific sites, rather than have a nationwide system. 

However, Cosla, the umbrella organisation for Scottish local authoritieshas previously warned that its legal advice is "unequivocal and confirms that local authorities cannot use bylaws to implement buffer zones at NHS reproductive health facilities".

Nicola Sturgeon recently agreed to chair an emergent summit on the issue.

Speaking after a visit to the Sandyford Clinic and Queen Elizabeth University Hospital where she spoke to staff providing abortion health care, Ms Todd said: “Women must have the right to access abortion without fear or intimidation. And it goes without saying that the same goes for healthcare staff doing their job.

“Today I spoke to staff at Sandyford clinic in Glasgow who have had to work in the shadow of two recent protests and heard from them and also staff at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital about the damaging impact it can have. 

“We’ve said repeatedly that the place to protest is at parliament where the legislation is made, not where people are receiving health care.

“We strongly support the introduction of buffer zones, welcome Gillian Mackay MSP’s Bill consultation and will continue to explore how the Scottish Parliament can legislate in a way that is effective and capable of withstanding legal challenge.

“Alongside this, the Scottish Government continues to work to make arrangements for a First Minister convened summit at the end of June to discuss abortion rights issues."

Last month, Nicola Sturgeon claimed progress on implementing buffer zones was being stalled because of a need to comply with the ECHR. 

The First Minister said that she wanted to make progress as quickly as possible but the government could not just “magic away the legal considerations” and she did not want to pass legislation that would be open to challenges in court.

However, campaigners point to Northern Ireland where the assembly has already passed legislation to introduce buffer zones around abortion clinics. 

Though the Attorney General for Northern Ireland recently asked the Supreme Court to consider whether the Bill implementing buffer zones was in “proportionate interference”.