Miscarrying women told to ‘read between lines’ and go to UK

Miscarrying women who went to Britain for medical terminations as they were refused in Ireland have spoken in heartbreaking detail about what they endured.

On RTÉ Radio’s Liveline, five women who faced similar situations to Savita Halappanavar explained the reality of a grey legal area. All callers were 15-20 weeks’ pregnant when the incidents occurred in hospitals from 1997 to 2004.

Medical Council guidelines and all sides of the debate accept there is a clear argument to help miscarrying women pass the foetus if their health is at risk in the very early stages of pregnancy. However, the women claimed they were advised to “read between the lines” and travel to clinics in Britain.