Legislative minefield, but medical rulings clear

While abortion issues represent a minefield for legislators, the medical situation is far clearer.

The Medical Council’s guide to professional conduct and ethics sets out what conduct doctors must follow in a case like Savita’s.

Part 21.4 states: “In current obstetrical practice, rare complications can arise where therapeutic intervention (including termination of a pregnancy) is required at a stage when, due to extreme immaturity of the baby, there may be little or no hope of the baby surviving.