For challenging new Medical Council guidelines meant for guiding physicians with personal objections to abortion on how to deal with patients, anti-abortion doctors have gone to the court.

Mary English, a Wellington GP and wife of Deputy Prime Minister Bill English, is believed to be one of the doctors.

Last week an application for a judicial review of the guidelines known as ‘Beliefs and Medical Practice’ was filed by doctors in the High Court.

Guidelines are being withheld by the Medical Council until the case is decided.

The doctors' lawyer, Harry Waalkens, QC, said, “Proceedings for a judicial review had been filed, but would not comment on the grounds for the challenge until he could speak to his clients. He would not name any of the doctors.”

Their main objection is understood to involve a new section in the guidelines covering the way doctors who object to abortion must deal with patients.

The guidelines requires doctors to tell patients who have doubts about a pregnancy that abortion is one of the options.

A Medical Council spokesperson said changes had been made since a draft was issued in March but final text could not be provided because of the court action.

According to the present law, doctors can refuse to provide contraception or abortion services on ethical ground. They can however tell patients to go to some other doctor.

The Health and Disability Commissioner and the Resident Doctors Association approving the new section in their submissions on the draft, stated that it was helpful to include specific advice.