Women’s Legal Service Tasmania chief executive Susan Fahey said she had received anecdotal reports of doctors and radiographers deliberately misleading women about their options with a number refusing to help women terminate their pregnancy.

Under Tasmanian law, medical practitioners with a conscientious objection to abortion are required to refer women seeking information about pregnancy options to someone who does not hold the same concerns.

Ms Fahey said not all health professionals upheld the rule.

‘‘We’ve had reports of people saying a radiographer refused to do an ultrasound for them because they have a conscientious objection, or they’ve aired certain concerns, or they’ve tried to make them look at the ultrasound,’’ she said.

‘‘We had another one who basically had GPs who refused to tell them where they could access terminations because they didn’t believe in it, and one where the radiographer has put the wand down and walked out when she heard the purpose of the ultrasound was for termination.

‘‘In most instances it doesn’t change their mind, it just makes them feel awful, and makes a really difficult decision even more so.’’

A Medical Board of Australia spokeswoman said the organisation held all registered medical practitioners to account against professional standards.

‘‘Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency Tasmania has not received notifications about women seeking a pregnancy termination who say they are being misled by GPs into thinking they need an ultrasound, about others refusing to refer women on to GPs who will ‘sign off’ on a termination, or about radiographers refusing to perform the required ultrasounds,’’ she said.

Australian Medical Association state president Tim Greenaway said it was a potential area of concern but  he had not received evidence of doctors doing anything wrong.

‘‘I understand some members have concerns their legal obligation conflicts with their own morals and ethics, and it is an area that is potentially grey –  but it is a woman’s right to have control over her body,’’ he said.

‘‘If anybody is deliberately lying or not referring women, I’d have major concerns.’’