Protection for female patients and healthcare staff

“This Assembly notes with concern the lack of protection afforded to women patients and healthcare staff, many of whom face daily harassment from anti-choice campaigners protesting outside family planning clinics, and calls upon the Mayor to address the rise in anti-choice intimidation being experienced in London. This Assembly recognises the right of anti-choice campaigners to freedom of speech but this should never override a patient’s right to safety and privacy, or the rights of healthcare staff to work in environments that are free of intimidation.

This Assembly welcomes the Government’s review to assess whether the police, healthcare providers and local authorities have the right powers to protect women wishing to access services to which they are legally entitled. However, we note that there are powers currently available to the police to prevent anti-choice campaigners from intimidating or harassing staff and patients. Therefore, the Assembly asks the Mayor to clarify the powers available to the MPS to arrest and prosecute anti-choice campaigners who resort to obstruction, intimidation and harassment, so that clinics and patients have the confidence to report it. This would send a clear message that threatening behaviour will not be tolerated on the streets of London.”