Remote consultations for women seeking access to abortion care look set to continue on foot of imminent advice due to be given to Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly.
Women seeking an abortion during the coronavirus pandemic did not need to visit a GP in person, but this measure was due to lapse following the end of Covid 19 travel restrictions.
Fresh advice to Mr Donnelly from the State’s chief medical officer and the HSE is expected to recommend an extension of this measure on a long-term basis, it is understood.
Ahead of that advice, Mr Donnelly has said that telemedicine is now backed by major health organisations.
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Under the existing law, two consultations are required for women who wish to access an abortion if they are within the 12-week gestational period. Three days must elapse between the first and second consultations, although senior medics are now backing proposals to remove this provision from law as part of an imminent review of the State’s abortion laws.
Following the easing of pandemic restrictions earlier this year, Mr Donnelly asked the HSE to review its model of care for terminations, looking at patient safety aspects with input from service providers in both hospital and community settings. This was with a view to allowing virtual consultations to continue.
Mr Donnelly told The Irish Times: “No serious adverse events have been reported to the HSE related to remote consultations for termination of pregnancy.” He said preliminary findings indicated that the majority of providers within primary care felt that a blend of remote and in-person care was optimal.
[ Abortion review’s approach to ‘three-day wait’ may reopen old woundsOpens in new window ]
Mr Donnelly said the safety of termination of pregnancy by telemedicine was also endorsed by organisations with significant experience in providing termination-of-pregnancy care including the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, the British Pregnancy Advisory Service and the National Unplanned Pregnancy Advisory Service.
Mr Donnelly now expects to receive the HSE’s recommendations and the chief medical officer’s view within the coming weeks.
It comes as the master of the Rotunda Hospital, Fergal Malone, told The Irish Times that the three-day wait was “stigmatising” and “paternalistic”.
“The three-day wait is, we feel, wrong in principle. As far as we can see it is the only aspect of healthcare where a grown adult who has full control of their mental capacities is not listened to and is told to go away and come back in three days. There is no requirement, we feel, to have that there. As a principle it is paternalistic and stigmatises women further by saying pregnant women are not in control of their faculties and need extra time. It does not sit well,” he said.
His comments come ahead of an imminent report from barrister Marie O’Shea, who has reviewed the existing abortion laws.
A source confirmed that her much-anticipated report is on track to be delivered in December.
If it recommends any change to the existing laws, it is expected that this will open up another national debate on access to abortion.
Meanwhile, Mr Donnelly has said another six hospitals will begin providing abortion services in 2023. Currently 11 out of 19 maternity units provide full termination care.
Conscientious objection is facilitated in the legislation underpinning termination of pregnancy. It applies only to staff directly involved in the provision of the service.
It is understood that there are a number of hospitals in which there is no consultant obstetrician willing to provide the service. There are also a number of hospitals in which there is a shortage of theatre nurses who are willing to participate in the service.
Earlier this year Mr Donnelly asked the HSE to ensure more hospitals provided these services to patients.
He said that investment in the national maternity hospital “has seen additional consultants and midwives appointed and has helped to reduce the level of objection to the introduction of the service. Six of the eight remaining hospitals are due to start providing services in 2023.”
