§ Lord Braine of Wheatleyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Jay of Paddington on 10 February (WA 165), whether, in cases of infants born alive as a result of late abortions, the Secretary of State requires that arrangements must be made with a neonatal unit or at a nearby hospital; what checks, if any, are made to ensure that all such infants are transferred from the clinic/hospital; and whether they will publish in the Official Report or place in the Library of the House any figures showing the number of infants given this treatment, with the numbers of those who survived and those who did not. [HL609]
§ Baroness Jay of PaddingtonAll private sector clinics and hospitals approved by the Secretary of State for Health to carry out termination of pregnancy between 20 and 24 weeks' gestation must agree to comply with certain requirements of approval. One requirement is that arrangements must be made with a neonatal unit on site or at a nearby hospital for the immediate transfer of any infant born alive. The clinic/hospital is required to provide all the necessary emergency treatment for any infant born alive, pending transfer to the neonatal unit. This requirement is contained in the Compendium of Guidance, key extracts of which were sent to all health authorities and National Health Service trusts in 1995.
Clinics approved by the Secretary of State are inspected by departmental officials. Arrangements for late terminations are checked as part of the inspection. Information on any live births is not collected.