Nearly 1,000 N Ireland medical personnel say they won’t perform abortions

October 24, 2019 CNA Daily News News Briefs 0 Print

Belfast, Northern Ireland, Oct 24, 2019 / 03:41 pm (CNA).- A Northern Ireland doctor opposed to abortion said he collected the signatures of 911 health care professionals in the region who will refuse to perform abortions under a new measure that legalized the procedure.

Dr. Andrew Cupples, a general physician in Northern Ireland, collected the signatures for a letter he sent to the Northern Ireland Secretary last month. The letter, signed by doctors, nurses and midwives, stated their opposition to the new abortion laws and called for strong conscientious objection protections that would ensure that those opposed to abortion may opt out of performing or assisting with the procedure, The Independent reported.

“Hundreds of healthcare professionals in Northern Ireland will refuse to be involved in abortion services. There are even people who are planning to walk away from the healthcare service if they are forced to participate in abortion services,” Cupples told The Independent.

“There are also people in obstetrics and gynecology and midwives who are worried if they do not agree to be trained in abortion they could be forced to do so or reprimanded by their employers or a professional body,” he said.

Earlier this week, Northern Ireland’s devolved legislature failed to block changes to their abortion and gay marriage laws passed by the British Parliament, which has the authority to govern the area in the absence of a functioning local assembly.

A last-ditch effort to recall Northern Ireland’s assembly and block the new laws did not gain necessary cross-party support, and as a result, abortion and same-sex marriage are now legal in Northern Ireland.

Previously, abortion had only been permissible in the region in cases in which the mother’s life was in danger, or if there was serious risk of permanent damage to her physical or mental health if she brought her pregnancy to term.

Abortion has been legal in the rest of the UK up to 24 weeks since 1967. Pressure to legalize abortion in Northern Ireland increased after a 2018 referendum legalized abortion in the Republic of Ireland. The law in the Republic of Ireland permits medical professionals who conscientiously object to abortion to refrain from participation in the procedure; however, doctors who object to abortion must refer women to doctors who will perform them.

Documents from the Republic of Ireland’s health department earlier this year showed that abortion services are limited at nine of the country’s 19 maternity hospitals, in part due to conscientious objectors.

At least 640 general practitioners in Ireland signed a petition last November objecting to the new obligation of referring patients to other doctors for abortions.

The majority of the Reppublic of Ireland’s 2,500 GPs are unwilling to perform abortions. Only between 4-6% of GPs have said they would participate in the procedure.

Cupples told The Independent that he was most worried for midwives and other professionals who have “no protection” under the new abortion law in Northern Ireland.

Guidelines issued by Britain’s Parliament to health care professionals in Northern Ireland regarding the new abortion regulations state that “anyone who has a conscientious objection to abortion may want to raise this with their employer,” the BBC reported.

They also note that in England and Wales, medical professionals may object to participating in an abortion in a “hands on” capacity but they are still required to participate in any related administrative or health care tasks.

These guidelines apply until the end of March, by which time a 12-week public consultation will have concluded and the Northern Ireland government will have issued official protocols for health care professionals regarding abortion in the region.

 

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Mother sues over missed Down syndrome diagnosis, says she would have aborted

July 9, 2019 CNA Daily News 1

London, England, Jul 9, 2019 / 04:01 pm (CNA).- The mother of a 4 year-old with Down syndrome is suing the National Health Service of the United Kingdom for what she claims was a failure to offer her a prenatal test for the disability.

Edyta Mordel, 33, claims that if she had known that her son, Aleksander, had Down syndrome in the womb, she would have aborted the pregnancy.

With the lawsuit, Mordel has said that she is seeking £200,000 ($249,000) compensation for the rising costs of care for Aleksander due to his disability. Mordel is originally from Poland but now lives in the U.K. with her son and his father, Lukasz Cieciura.

Lawyers representing the NHS have argued that hospital records show that Mordel declined a prenatal test for Down syndrome, The Telegraph reported. Mordel is being represented by Clodagh Bradley QC.

According to the lawsuit, records from the Royal Berkshire Hospital indicate that Mordel declined the prenatal test for Down syndrome in 2014 when she was 12 weeks pregnant. In their arguments, the NHS claimed that Mordel decided to decline it after learning that the procedure carries with it a slight risk of miscarriage.

Mordel’s lawyers have argued that the hospital sonographer was mistaken in recording that Mordel declined the test.

“If she would ask me if I wanted any test for Down’s syndrome, I would say ‘yes,’” Mordel said in court proceedings, according to The Telegraph.

“I knew from the start that I would agree on the Down’s syndrome screening and I would not make any other decision,” she said.

A decision on the case has not yet been made.

Down syndrome is caused by a person having an extra chromosome. The condition causes people with Down syndrome to have distinct features such as almond-shaped eyes and poor muscle definition in some areas, as well as a shorter height in adulthood.

According to Mayo Clinic, the condition is associated with a higher risk of heart and gastrointestinal problems, immune disorders, leukemia, and some other medical problems. It also causes learning and development delays and disabilities in most individuals, though the severity of these varies widely from person to person.

The current life expectancy for a person with Down syndrome is 60 or more years. According to Mayo Clinic, individuals with Down syndrome with access to early interventions and routine medical care can live full and healthy lives.

The ethics of testing for Down syndrome in the womb have been debated by many in the pro-life and disability communities, because these tests have led to widespread abortions of unborn children who test positive for the disability.

In 2018, the states of Utah and Pennsylvania considered legislation that would have banned abortions solely due to a prenatal Down syndrome diagnosis, in an effort to protect babies with disabilities from discrimination.

In 2017, Iceland claimed to have nearly “eradicated” Down syndrome, due to abortions of unborn children who tested positive for the disability.

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