Doctors sign petition to fight ‘GP-led’ abortion plan

SOME 640 general practitioners have signed a petition raising concerns about the Government’s plan to press ahead with a GP-led abortion service in Ireland.

The group claims that the Minister for Health Simon Harris ‘never took the time’ to consult GPs and instead broke the news through the media.

Dublin-based Dr Aisling Bastible said: ‘Instead of reaching out to the hundreds of GPs, Minister Harris has adopted an utterly dismissive tone.’

The signatories represent a variety of views on the issue, including concerns around training, funding, retention within the GP service and conscientious objection. The seven GPs who presented the petition to the media in Dublin yesterday stated that they personally would not be willing to perform abortions.

The group said the Irish Council of General Practitioners (ICGP), which is involved in the committees debating the legislation [governing abortions], is not advocating for conscientious objection.

Dr Andrew O’Regan, who was part of the anti-abortion Medical Alliance for the Eighth group during the abortion referendum, said that a GPled service is uncommon in terms of how abortions are performed. He also said that there were only two European countries that adhered to such a model. ‘General practice is at maximum capacity... now the Government are saying, “We want you to do this as well”, it’s just not on.’

The doctors suggested a number of options, including the New Zealand model, in which there is a 24-hour helpline which would direct women to the appropriate clinic.

The group will now be pushing for a meeting with Micheál Martin after Simon Harris ‘failed to respond to repeated requests to discuss conscientious objection’. The group added: ‘The referendum was about choice, what about our choice?’ The ICGP will hold an EGM of its members on the legislation on December 2 in Dublin. The Department of Health has been contacted for comment.