Five more maternity hospitals to provide abortion services from next week
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said: "I would like to acknowledge the work of the HSE National Women and Infant Health Programme, the hospitals and the service providers who have contributed to this important milestone in termination of pregnancy services in Ireland."
Five more maternity hospitals are to offer abortion services from next Monday, December 4, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has announced.
Hospital sites at Kilkenny, Portiuncula, Letterkenny, Wexford and Portlaoise will provide the services from next week, bringing to 17 the total number of maternity hospitals providing early (under 12 weeks) termination of pregnancy services, as prescribed in the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018.
Speaking on Friday, Mr Donnelly said the expansion of services was "a significant step towards the provision of full termination services for women in all 19 maternity hospitals".
"I would like to acknowledge the work of the HSE National Women and Infant Health Programme, the hospitals and the service providers who have contributed to this important milestone in termination of pregnancy services in Ireland."
Mr Donnelly added that he was looking forward to further expansion of services next year and "the reality of safe, equitable access to this service for all women.”
HSE clinical lead for termination services, Dr Aoife Mullally, also welcomed the announcement, which she said would "enable women to access care in their local units without the additional burden of travel".
"I acknowledge the leadership of the Clinical Lead Consultants in all maternity units who have worked extremely hard to develop these services and provide high-quality, compassionate care for women," Dr Mullally said.
"While the majority of early pregnancy abortion care is provided in the community, a hospital-based service is essential for some women and is a valuable support for the community-based service.”
The HSE National Women & Infants Health Programme (NWIHP) has advised that all 19 maternity hospitals offer a range of termination of pregnancy services including:
- Supporting women with any post-termination complications.
- Provision of ultrasound scanning as required.
- Provision of care and supervision in cases where maternal health/life is at risk, and referral to the appropriate tertiary hospital as required.
- Provision of care and supervision for women following a diagnosis of fatal foetal anomaly, including referral to an appropriate tertiary unit.
The HSE has said that the two remaining maternity hospitals — Cavan and Clonmel — will begin service provision in 2024.
