‘No complaints after having terminations’

No women have complained to authorities after having a termination performed on medical grounds in an Irish hospital, the Irish Medical Council said.

Council president Kieran Murphy said the controversial issue of abortion had never been a cause of complaint or resulted in any investigation of doctors.

“The council reviews complaints if a doctor is found to be in breach of the guide,” Mr Murphy said. “To the best of my knowledge, we have not received any complaints of a doctor in breach of the guide with regard to abortion.”

The Irish Medical Council was the first organisation to appear before the Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children as part of its three days of hearings on abortion.

It told the committee that doctors must not allow their personal views on abortion to influence their treatment of a pregnant woman whose life is at risk.

Mr Murphy said the council’s guidelines, which do not serve as a legal code, demand that doctors exercising “conscientious objection” explain their position and refer the patient to another doctor. “Conscientious objection does not absolve you from your responsibilities to a patient in an emergency situation,” Mr Murphy said.

Officials from the Department of Health also gave a brief presentation to the committee. But Fine Gael TD Billy Timmins raised objections that the health officials would not take questions from TDs and senators.