THE LIMERICK President of the national organisation representing family doctors has said they are alarmed and angry to hear that the Minister expects them to lead an ‘abortion up to twelve weeks’ service, if such is to be made available by the referendum on removing the eighth amendment to the constitution.
The National Association of General Practitioners has demanded that Health Minister Simon Harris engage with the representative body regarding his intent to prepare legislation to enable a GP-led scheme of abortion.
Dr Emmet Kerin, President of the NAGP remarked: “I was alarmed to hear the Minister’s comments and presumption that the State would direct GPs to lead an abortion service without any engagement with our members to discuss the implications of this notion. The growing disconnect of the Minister and his Department of Health from the frontline service of General Practice is of genuine concern to me.”
Dr Kerin concluded “General Practitioners are dedicated to the health of their patients but feel that their work supporting the increasingly chaotic healthcare system receives no acknowledgment. For the Minister to suggest that our profession should lead out an abortion service without consultation with our member GPs is an affront to our profession and could pose yet another strain on the provision of general practice healthcare services.”
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