Ireland – Abortion: Wait rather than risk a tragedy

Abortion: Wait rather than risk a tragedy

Saturday, November 17, 2018

The Government hopes to pass abortion legislation before Christmas and Taoiseach Leo Varadakar has said he is confident the Government’s timeline to have pregnancy termination services available in January 2019 can be met.

Those are both big asks as the process of setting up the service has already met a number of hurdles. In the first instance, there remains a cohort of TDs and senators opposed to introducing abortion services here and they will do anything they can to stop or delay it.

Continued: https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/views/ourview/abortion-wait-rather-than-risk-a-tragedy-885875.html

Ireland – Anomaly scans will not be ready in time for abortion roll out

Anomaly scans will not be ready in time for abortion roll out

Eilish O'Regan
September 25 2018

It will be 2019 before all pregnant women are automatically offered an anomaly scan to find out if their baby has a fatal foetal abnormality, it emerged yesterday.

The long-awaited extension of the service is unlikely to be on time for the new abortion legislation, which is due to come into force in January and will allow women, whose baby has been diagnosed with this condition, to have a termination in this country.

Continued: https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/anomaly-scans-will-not-be-ready-in-time-for-abortion-roll-out-37351561.html

Ireland – Lack of training and equipment worries doctors ahead of abortion deadline

Lack of training and equipment worries doctors ahead of abortion deadline

Press Association 2018
Sep 19, 2018

Doctors have voiced concern over whether the Irish Health Service will be ready to start carrying out abortions by January 2019.

The Oireachtas Health Committee heard warnings from doctors that more investment is needed in the health service to adapt to the “new reality” ahead.

Continued: https://www.sthelensstar.co.uk/news/national/16889531.lack-of-training-and-equipment-worries-doctors-ahead-of-abortion-deadline/

Ireland – Concern over timeline for introducing abortion services

Concern over timeline for introducing abortion services

Wednesday, 19 Sep 2018
RTÉ News Political reporter

The Minister for Health has said he intends to meet medical professionals shortly regarding clinical guidelines being prepared for abortion services here.

Simon Harris's comments come following today's Oireachtas Health Committee, at which concerns were raised by representatives of GPs, gynaecologists and obstetricians over the lack of meetings between stakeholders on the matter.

Continued: https://www.rte.ie/news/politics/2018/0919/994727-abortion/

Ireland – ‘Very, very difficult’: Doctors raise doubts over abortion services timeline

‘Very, very difficult’: Doctors raise doubts over abortion services timeline
Oireachtas health committee is told start date for GP-led structure from early next year is ‘challenging’

Wed, Sep 19, 2018

Doctors have expressed concerns that they will not be able to implement the Government’s plan to roll out GP-led abortion services from its intended start date in January.

Representatives from the Irish College of General Practitioners and the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists raised doubts at the Oireachtas health committee about being able to implement guidelines and provide abortion services by the Government’s proposed start-date early next year.

Continued: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/very-very-difficult-doctors-raise-doubts-over-abortion-services-timeline-1.3634396

Ireland – GPs warn of potential errors with abortion scans service

GPs warn of potential errors with abortion scans service

Eilish O'Regan
June 4 2018

Ultrasound machines used by GPs to examine women seeking a medical abortion need to be reliable, otherwise there is a risk of a reading error similar to mistakes made by CervicalCheck, a leading GP has warned.

Dr John O'Brien, president of the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP), said the provision of ultrasound machines used to date a pregnancy is one of the many areas that must be worked out before services to provide abortion up to 12 weeks of pregnancy are ready.

Continued: https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/gps-warn-of-potential-errors-with-abortion-scans-service-36974092.html