Two psychiatrists 'can give opinion on risk of suicide in abortion cases'

The Master of the National Maternity Hospital has said that two obstetricians and two expert psychiartists would give a reasonable opinion on whether or not a pregnant woman is at risk of suicide.

The Master of the National Maternity Hospital has said that two obstetricians and two expert psychiatrists would give a reasonable opinion on whether or not a pregnant woman is at risk of suicide.

It has been reported that the Government may have to delay tomorrow's publication of draft legislation on abortion because of a serious rift between the Coalition on the issue of suicide.

Newspaper reports yesterday suggested that up to six doctors would be required to assess if a threat of suicide represented a real risk to the woman's life.

Master of Holles Street maternity hospital Dr Rhona Mahony said that only a small percentage of women who wish to terminate their pregnancy express suicide ideation.

"People worry very much that this thing on suicide may open the floodgates if you like," she said.

"I don't know how they mean by open the floodgates - 4,000 women already avail of termination every year in this country.

"I think that women that are expressing suicide ideation, I think there's going to be a very small number of those women and women who don't have genuine suicide ideation are not going to put themselves through a process like that, they're just going to go to England."

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