HSE official predicts over 300 abortions will be be carried out at Limerick Maternity in 2019

MORE THAN 300 abortions are expected to be carried out at University Maternity Hospital Limerick in 2019, according to HSE correspondence seen by the Limerick Leader.

And according the UL Hospitals Group’s financial forecast, the first year of legal terminations at the Ennis Road hospital will cost an estimated €820,682 in staffing alone.

Exclusive correspondence received by the Limerick Leader under freedom of information reveal that the HSE and the UL Hospitals Group were preparing for the roll-out of abortion services in Limerick since last summer.

In direct correspondence to the CEO of the UL Hospitals Group, Prof Colette Cowan, the HSE thanked the group for its ongoing work in relation to the introduction of abortion services.

According to a letter on November 9, sent by the then-acting HSE director general Dean O’Sullivan, a teleconference had taken place between the UL Hospitals Group and two senior HSE officials on November 6.

In the same correspondence, Mr O’Sullivan stated that it was estimated that around 3% of abortions would be carried out at UMHL this year.

Mr O’Sullivan said that of an estimated 10,000 terminations that would take place across the country, around 4,000 would be carried at any of the 19 maternity hospitals nationwide.

Of the 4,000, 2,000 are expected to be surgical, while 1,600 are expected to be medical. Around 400 cases will involve women who are more than 12 weeks pregnant.

A woman can only have an abortion after 12 weeks if medical professionals are satisfied that the foetus is likely to die within 28 days of birth due problems with its development; if the pregnancy puts the woman’s life at risk, or if the pregnancy causes harm to the woman’s health.

Mr Sullivan added that the estimated activity at UMHL will be six procedures weekly, or upwards of 312 procedures a year.

However, when asked if these figures were still being projected by the HSE and UL Hospitals Group, a group spokesperson said: “It is too early in the roll-out of the service to accurately predict the numbers who may avail of it.”

Asked how many procedures have been carried out, as well as the number of referrals, the spokesperson replied: “Due to the small numbers involved and for reasons of patient confidentiality reasons, we are not in a position to divulge these details. Details on the number of procedures will be provided nationally in due course.”

Mr Sullivan then wrote that a site specific implementation plan was required by November 23. 

He added that “we are now at a critical point” and that detailed plans on sites would need to be finalised by November 23.

The UL Hospitals Group submitted its plan on November 26, three days late. In its plan, the UL Hospitals Group said that it will require €820,682 for 8.3 whole time equivalents for the rolling out of abortion services in 2019.

The document, seen by this paper, outlined that this would include staff midwives, costing €131,964; a healthcare assistant at €53,125; a ward assistant at €23,951; a bereavement specialist at €76,316; a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at €226,218; consultant anaesthetist at €67,865; senior house officers at €215,674; and a porter at €25,568.