‘Staff had difficulty interpreting abortion law’

Difficulty in interpreting the law on abortion was a factor in relation to the care of the late Savita Halappanavar at Galway University Hospital, the HSE draft report into her death says.

Ms Halappanavar, 31, who was 17 weeks pregnant with her first child, died from blood poisoning on Oct 28, a week after being admitted to the hospital with severe back pain and found to be miscarrying.

Her husband, Praveen Halappanavar, has told his solicitor, Gerard O’Donnell, that the report did not explain why the request for a termination was not acted on, even after Ms Halappanavar became ill and her life was in danger.