Midwife feared she was witnessing ‘septic abortion’

An experienced midwife feared Savita Halappanavar was suffering a “septic abortion” when she saw her the morning she fell critically ill.

Nurse Patricia Gilligan made the diagnosis minutes before obstetrician Dr Katherine Astbury carried out her morning round, she told the inquest.

“I was very concerned about it; I thought she was a septic abortion,” she told Galway coroner’s court.