Category: Ireland

‘Women will be forced to travel for abortion’ after doctors’ decision

Irish Independent

Eilish O’Regan

A decision by the four obstetricians in one of the main hospitals in the south-east not to offer an abortion service will force women to travel even though it may be difficult and expensive for them to do so, it was claimed yesterday.

The Abortion Rights Campaign was reacting to a letter to GPs from the four doctors in St Luke’s Hospital in Kilkenny which said it was “decided unanimously that the hospital is not an appropriate location for medical or surgical terminations”. . . . [Full text]

Major row erupts over lack of abortion services in Kilkenny

Kilkenny Now

A BITTER war of words has erupted over the failure of St Luke’s General Hospital in Kilkenny to provide abortions services.

This morning it was reported that four consultant obstetricians at St Luke’s, among them an anti-abortion campaigner, have written to local GPs to advise that termination services are not available in the hospital.

The letter, signed by Ray O’Sullivan, Raouf Salam, Yuddandi Nagaveni, and Trevor Hayes, said that, following discussions between the four, it was “decided unanimously that the hospital is not an appropriate location for medical or surgical terminations”.

Mr Hayes was a prominent anti-abortion campaigner during the referendum to repeal the Eighth Amendment in May 2018.

Abortion rights campaigners reacted angrily to the news. . . [Full text]

Abortions can’t be provided at St Luke’s Hospital for Carlow/Kilkenny according to consultants

KCLR

MaryAnn Vaughn

St Luke’s Hospital will not be providing abortion services.

That’s according to four consultant obstetricians at the local hospital who have penned a letter to the Ireland East Hospital Group advising them that they won’t be providing terminations. . . [Full text]

GPs call for ‘safe access zones’ for patients attending doctors

Zones needed to protect doctors and patients from protesters, says Irish council for GPs

The Irish Times

Paul Cullen

Members of the professional and training body for GPs have called for the provision of safe access zones for all patients attending their family doctor.

Members at the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP) annual general meeting also agreed that a report be commissioned into how the organisation dealt with issues raised by members about the abortion legislation introduced last January.

The issue has been highly divisive for the ICGP; dozens of mostly anti-abortion doctors walked out of an extraordinary general meeting of the college held last December, in protest over procedures. . . [Full text]

Doctors threaten legal action in abortion services row

The Business Post

Francesca Comyn

The issue of GP-led abortion services has proved highly contentious for various reasons including conscientious objection, workload and an existing services contract perceived by many to be sub-standard

The professional body for GPs is facing the threat of legal action from its members if it does not row back on its refusal to hold and extraordinary general meeting on the provision of abortion services. . .[Full text]