A question that continues to generate social, professional, and academic controversy is the scope of the right to conscientious objection (CO) under section 4 of the 1967 Abortion Act. Research questions 1.	What do health professionals understand as constituting ‘participation in abortion’?2.	From which elements of the abortion process should  health professionals be permitted to withdraw on grounds of conscience? The research has been underpinned by the hermeneutic of Hans-Georg Gadamer.  Semi structured interviews with pharmacists, doctors, nurses and midwives took place.  Data were analysed thematically, heuristically and finally hermeneutically. The main themes were "doing the job", "entrusting to others", "acknowledging institutional power" and "being selective".