Decision of GPs not to endorse Government’s Bill on abortion “a clear defeat for the pro-choice side”, says Dr Kirsten Fuller

12th May 2013

Decision of GPs not to endorse Government’s Bill on abortion “a clear defeat for the pro-choice side”, says Dr Kirsten Fuller

At the annual conference of the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP) today, members rejected the wording of a motion which called on members to support the publication of the Government’s draft Bill on abortion. Instead doctors voted in favour of an amended motion calling on the government to introduce evidence based medical guidelines when bringing forward clarity regarding the treatment of mothers in pregnancy.*

Dr Kirsten Fuller who attended the conference in Galway said: “The amended motion which was carried today is a clear defeat for the pro-choice side.

“The refusal of GPs to endorse the recently published heads of the Bill on abortion sends a very strong message to the Government that any proposal it produces must be evidence based. The amended motion which was passed in its place also makes this abundantly clear.

“Introducing abortion on the ground of threatened suicide would certainly not be evidence based. Following today's vote and the rejection of abortion at the recent IMO conference, the Government cannot ignore the concerns being raised by doctors.”

ENDS

*Amended motion as passed:

This meeting calls on the ICGP to call on the government to introduce clarity in the law founded on evidence based medical guidelines where there is a real and substantial risk to the life of the mother.