Keep abortion away from GP and hospital services

LOCATING Termination of Pregnancies (life) Clinics in hospitals, particularly maternity hospitals, is totally inappropriate and unacceptable.

Additionally, no consideration is demonstrated to hospital staff, doctors and nurses many of whom are being frogmarched into performing

procedures that are offensive to their conscience and professional ethics.

Likewise, GPs not prepared to offer abortion services are – under threat – being ordered to refer persons seeking abortion to other professional colleagues who are prepared to offer such services.

Simon Harris, you surely must understand this form of action makes them accomplices in the procedure?

Yet we are told nine persons travel abroad every day to have an abortion, whilst at home another three persons take pills to induce an abortion. That provides an unverifiable number of 4,380 abortions each year.

What is the solution to this difficulty? Simple. Immediately rent, or buy/build, suitable properties for establishing termination clinics – one in each of the four provinces. Fit them out with

the appropriate equipment/materials to provide an efficient and safe environment for those persons seeking termination services.

Then engage properly qualified staff, doctors and nurses who are devoid of any guilt complexes regarding the work that is expected to be executed. Advertise the locations of the termination clinics and those seeking such services will find their way to them without the need to trouble their local GPs or hospitals.

This would be a totally new service and since it is going to be in existence for the long-term it is important not to act in haste but take time and ensure it is fit for purpose and run in parallel with the health service, but in no way physically connected with same. Patrick Murray

Dundrum, Dublin 14