This will bring the total number of maternity hospitals providing the termination of pregnancy to seventeen.
Two midlands hospitals are set to start providing pregnancy termination services this month.
Portiuncula University Hospital and Midlands Regional Hospital Portlaoise are included in a list of five hospitals that will commence abortion servidces before the end of the year.
The others are St Luke's General Hospital Kilkenny, Letterkenny University Hospital and Wexford General Hospital.
Services are expected to start from Monday the 4th of December.
This will bring the total number of maternity hospitals providing early (under 12 weeks) termination of pregnancy services, as prescribed in the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018, to seventeen.
The Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly says “This expansion is a significant step towards the provision of full termination services for women in all nineteen Maternity hospitals. I would like to acknowledge the work of the HSE National Women and Infant Health Programme, the hospitals and the service providers who have contributed to this important milestone in termination of pregnancy services in Ireland.
"I look forward to further expansion of services in 2024 and the reality of safe, equitable access to this service for all women.”
Dr Aoife Mullally, the HSE Clinical Lead for Termination Services, says, “I welcome this significant expansion of termination of pregnancy care. This will enable women to access care in their local units without the additional burden of travel. I acknowledge the leadership of the Clinical Lead Consultants in all maternity units who have worked extremely hard to develop these services and provide high-quality, compassionate care for women.
"While the majority of early pregnancy abortion care is provided in the community, a hospital-based service is essential for some women and is a valuable support for the community-based service.”
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