Almost four out of 10 rural GPs report a conscientious objection to abortion, and would refer on a patient with an unintended pregnancy, a small survey shows.

Of the GPs surveyed, 38% said they would ‘always’ or ‘sometimes’ refer patients to colleagues because of conscientious objection.

The study, by researchers from the University of Melbourne’s School of Population and Global Health, surveyed 23 GPs from the Grampians area in rural Victoria, five of whom also took part in a phone interview.

The authors noted that their result was higher than the only available estimated rate of conscientious objection among doctors in Australia (15%) assessed in 2011.