|TOP|The Catholic Church in Scotland has expressed alarm over plans by the Scottish NHS to introduce controversial “lunchtime” abortions, a move which has left critics angry that NHS managers have reduced the procedure to something as trivial as a trip to the dentist.

Dr Anna Glasier, the clinical director for sexual health at NHS Lothian confirmed that women will be able to undergo terminations fully conscious in outpatient rooms when a pilot scheme is launched in 2007.

By removing the need of operating theatres, health chiefs are claiming the procedure could make abortions much safer by reducing the need for general anaesthetics and the use of powerful drugs.

The procedure, which takes just a few hours, was first introduced in England in an abortion clinic which said the shorter termination “could be quite easily completed during a working woman’s lunchtime”.

This is the first time the controversial procedure, which takes place under local anaesthetic, has been offered by the NHS in Scotland and will be available for women up to 15 weeks patient.

|QUOTE|Dr Glasier said: "This pilot is intended to assess whether there would be advantages in offering women the option of using local anaesthetic rather than general for a surgical termination.

"This would only affect the choice of pain relief for women undergoing this procedure, and not any other aspect, such as the timing of the procedure or the number of abortions being done.

"There are many possible advantages in opting for local anaesthetic rather than a general anaesthetic. Using a local anaesthetic is potentially safer."

She added: "It is possible, if some women opt for treatment under local anaesthetic, rather than a general anaesthetic, that there would be less pressure on hospital operating theatres, which could be used for other operations instead, but our main concern is about making the experience of a distressing condition better for our patients."

|AD|Dr Kate Guthrie, a family planning consultant from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said: "There are very small risks associated with general anaesthetic, and because the patient is awake during a local anaesthetic they can talk to the doctor about what's happening.

"They are also up and about very quickly. The other advantage is that there is a certain stigma with abortion and women can leave the clinic without someone having to take them home. They can also take less time off work."

But the Catholic Church in Scotland and anti-abortion groups have reacted with fury to the new plans.

A spokesman for the Catholic Church in Scotland said: “The very serious danger with this method is that so little time goes into thinking through the consequences.

"The more streamlined the process becomes, the higher the risk that the woman will not fully consider her options. This will make abortion more convenient and make it less likely the woman will be able to pause for thought."

Margaret Cuthill, national co-ordinator of British Victims of Abortion, said: "This is minimising abortion to the point where it is like a trip to the dentist or the supermarket.

"Many of the women who come for post-abortion counselling with our organisation say they felt like they had been put on a conveyer belt and this new procedure will add to that."