Secular Medical Forum

The Secular Medical Forum (SMF) campaigns for a secular approach to health care and major health issues.

They are opposed to medical practice being influenced by religion.

The SMF was established following informal discussions at the National Secular Society AGM in November 2006. It is open to all health-care professionals.

With Dr. Michael Irwin, a retired GP and former Medical Director of the United Nations, as the first Co-ordinator, a group of doctors and nurses (also NSS members) drafted statements on a variety of subjects (ranging from physician-assisted suicide to HIV/AIDS, and from abortion to stem-cell research) during January and February 2007. Dr Antony Lempert has now taken over as co-ordinator.

The main objective of the SMF is to present a secular opinion on present-day medical and health care practices throughout the UK. They are naturally not opposed to practitioners holding religious views - which may inspire them. But the SMF believe that these personal opinions must not influence how they care for their patients or make policy decisions.