ABSTRACT
Conscience in healthcare has by turns been seen as a moral and legal right, and as a source of harm and injustice. Conscience is also inextricably linked to the notion of integrity – the virtues of acting in accordance with correct values, even when this is made difficult by circumstances. They are presented as foci for a theoretical discussion with practical implications, rather than as a generalisable theory of conscience-manifest in primary healthcare. This chapter argues that better understanding of conscience and conscientious objection is essential in the primary healthcare setting. Primary healthcare offers plentiful opportunity for difference of both beliefs and values that in turn generates the potential for conscientious objection. Conscientious objection to abortion stems from beliefs about the moral status of the human embryo. The woman's right to choose whether to continue to be pregnant until delivery may be viewed as a value that trumps any notional rights of the foetus.
