Concern over partial abortion procedures

The Master of the Rotunda Maternity Hospital acted out of concern for both patients and the reputation of Irish maternity services when he wrote to health officials warning about the growing trend of women diagnosed with fatal foetal abnormalities returning to Ireland to give birth to stillborn babies after undergoing a partial abortion procedure in the UK.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Dr Sam Coulter-Smith said he raised the issue with Department of Health’s chief medical officer, Dr Tony Holohan, because he was concerned that women were “having an intervention in one jurisdiction” before travelling back to Ireland for the baby’s delivery.

“The chance of something going wrong is small, but the impact is very high,” Dr Coulter-Smith said.