Northern Ireland: Hundreds of medical professionals will refuse to provide abortion services, doctor warns

Northern Irish GP's warning comes after abortion decriminalised in Northern Ireland

Andrew Cupples, a Northern Irish GP who is strongly opposed to the liberalisation of abortion laws, has said a number of healthcare professionals have personally told him they would leave their jobs if they were made to carry out an abortion (AFP via Getty Images)

Hundreds of healthcare professionals in Northern Ireland will refuse to be involved in services which carry out abortions, a doctor has warned.

Abortion has long been illegal in Northern Ireland in almost all circumstances – including rape and incest – but the procedure was decriminalised in Northern Ireland on Tuesday.

Andrew Cupples, a Northern Irish GP who is strongly opposed to the liberalisation of abortion laws, has said a number of healthcare professionals have personally told him they would leave their jobs if they were made to carry out an abortion.

Dr Cupples, who is against abortion even in instances of rape and incest, has written a letter to the Northern Ireland Secretary which has been signed by 911 medical professionals.

The doctors, midwives and nurses who have signed the letter, which was submitted last month, have said they are against abortion reform and have called for a guarantee they will not have to either carry out or help with abortions.

“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,” Mr Cupples told The Independent.

“There are also people in obstetrics and gynaecology 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.”

Mr Cupples, who has been a GP for ten years, said he was most concerned for midwives and staffs who have “no protection” under the guidelines to object to being involved in abortion services.

Northern Ireland’s assembly sat for the first time in almost three years on Monday after being recalled by the DUP in an eleventh-hour attempt to stop abortion reform but the effort failed.

Grainne Teggart, Amnesty International’s Northern Ireland campaigner manager, argued conscientious objection should only apply to those carrying out terminations and not the care before or after the procedure takes place.

Rachael Clarke, of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), the UK’s largest abortion provider, said: “We fully support the right of healthcare professionals not to provide abortion care if they conscientiously object to doing so. What we don’t support is the obstruction of women trying to access legal services. Healthcare workers have a professional obligation, where they themselves are unable to provide care, to ensure that patients have accurate information and can access care without delay.

“Conscientious objection itself does not, we believe, pose a serious threat to provision in Northern Ireland. We have seen in Ireland that despite threats from anti-choice groups, hundreds of healthcare professionals are willing and happy to conscientiously provide the care that their patients need. The Supreme Court has also been very clear that conscientious objection only extends to the individual right to opt out of ‘hands-on’ provision and not any of the work required to administrate or support those providing a service.

“We would support any proposal to bring conscientious objection law in Northern Ireland into line with the rest of the UK – because women deserve better than to be treated by those who think that what they’re doing is wrong.”

Until now, women seeking a termination in Northern Ireland could face life in prison. Women were only able to terminate their pregnancy in Northern Ireland if there was either a risk to their life or of them suffering permanent mental or physical harm.

A 12-year-old rape victim in Northern Ireland was previously forced to travel to England under police escort for an abortion.

A 12-week public consultation will soon start to determine how abortion services will be implemented from 31 March – the date at which the UK government is legally required to have put in place guidelines for free, safe, legal and local abortion services. Medical abortions will be delivered on two hospital sites from then on.

In the interim period, those who need to travel for an abortion will have all expenses, such as treatment, transport and a place to stay, paid for by the UK government and medical professionals in Northern Ireland will be able to provide information about abortion provision in England.

A moratorium on criminal prosecutions surrounding abortions has also immediately come into force – meaning no criminal proceedings can be brought against those seeking or carrying out an abortion.

On Wednesday, Belfast’s Crown Court formally dropped charges against the mother who faced a prison sentence for buying abortion pills online for her then 15-year-old daughter.

“Today is a momentous occasion and we are absolutely looking forward to human rights being delivered in Northern Ireland,” Denise Phelan, who was denied a termination despite doctors saying her baby would not survive, told The Independent on Monday hours before abortion was decriminalised.

“But for us, it won’t be a celebration, it will be a time of remembrance for all of the women who have suffered who have been forced to give birth to dead babies. We will be glad to see this barbaric and cruel regime come to an end.”