SEXUAL HEALTH ‘HUBS’ TO DEAL WITH ABORTIONS
++ Series of centres nationwide will deliver service ++ GPs who refuse to refer patients to them risk being struck off
A SERIES of sexual health ‘hubs’ are to open around the country to provide abortion services – and doctors who refuse to refer patients to them risk being struck off. Confusion had emerged over whether abortions will be provided by hospitals, GPs or abortion clinics, despite Government assurances that abortion care would be GP-led.
The main body representing family doctors expressed concern at how GPs could provide such a service. The National Association
of General Practitioners, which represents 2,000 family doctors, has said many of its GPs do not have the equipment to deliver such a service, while other doctors who oppose abortion are demanding to be allowed abstain from providing the service on the ground of conscientious objection.
Now it has emerged that a series of soon-to-be-opened sexual health hubs, staffed by GPs, will instead provide the service.
And while the Government is to allow doctors with a moral objection to abortion to refuse to provide the service, it has drawn the line at a refusal to refer patients to a clinician who will.
Because the service will require GP referrals, it will be GP-led, a Government source has said. ‘Doctors will not be allowed to refuse referrals, those who do will risk being struck off,’ the source said.
The Government is anticipating a strong pushback but is prepared to face down demands of doctor groups, a senior source told the Irish Daily Mail. ‘We’re expecting a lot of noise. But we’re confident that there will be enough willing GPs to provide a complete service,’ the source said.
The Government envisions that a number of sexual health ‘hubs’, similar to primary care centres, will open around the country when the legislation on our new abortion laws is complete.
The hubs will deal with a range
‘The timing is so tight’
of issues related to sexual health, such as screening and contraception, as well as the provision of abortions. They will be staffed by clinicians willing to provide abortions.
The issue of conscientious objection is a thorny one for the Government but it is confident there is a sufficient number of GPs who will voluntarily provide the service to meet demand.
Yesterday officials at the Department of Health began meeting with the various bodies representing doctors about the matter.
The Government is working with GPs, the Irish College of General Practitioners, the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, and the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland on developing clinical guidelines for abortion.
Health Minister Simon Harris said the meetings would look ‘at exactly how the medical community will interact with the law of the land’.
Earlier in the day, NAGP president Dr Máitiú Ó Tuathail told the Mail that abortion clinics were a likely solution to the row over who would provide abortions.
‘A GP-led service doesn’t necessarily mean a service in the patient’s own GP. First of all, it’s unclear who will provide the service,’ he said.
He added that an ultrasound scan was needed to correctly determine the date of most pregnancies and it was very rare for GPs to have an ultrasound machine in their own clinic.
In relation to assessing how far along a pregnancy is, he pointed out: ‘The timeline is very tight, so most women are gone at least six weeks before they realise they’re pregnant, generally eight. That means you have a window of four weeks before you make a decision, so I think in a lot of cases we will need an ultrasound because the timing is so tight.’
He added that the average GP consultation time is ten minutes, and it was unfair to expect women to deal with such a comprehensive issue during a brief consultation.
Doctors For Choice said 1,600 doctors currently licensed to practise in Ireland were willing to carry out abortions. GP and group spokeswoman Dr Marion Dyer added that ultrasounds weren’t the only reliable methods of determining how far along a pregnancy was. She said that according to guidelines by the World Health
‘GPs will need to be resourced’
Organization, the starting date of the woman’s last menstrual period and a physical examination could determine if the pregnancy is within the legal 12-week mark.
But Dr Dyer added: ‘GPs will need to be resourced in order to be able to provide a best-quality, evidence-based full reproductive healthcare system based on international guidelines.’
The Irish Medical Organisation said yesterday that although the referendum had ended, the matter was far from over and the focus now needed to shift towards legislating a framework for the service, in particular for doctors who conscientiously object to abortion.
Responding to NAGP claims that it has been ‘left in the dark’ regarding the provision of future abortion services and that the Government had yet to engage with GPs regarding their involvement, a spokesman for the Department of Health said: ‘The Department of Health had a very productive meeting today with the Royal College of Physicians, Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the Irish College of General Practitioners to discuss the service issues that will arise from legislation to regulate termination of pregnancy...
‘It is recognised that, separate to the engagement with doctors’ professional bodies, contractual discussions will also be required in due course in relation to the provision of services by GPs to GMS (general medical services) patients.’