Ireland's abortion services expanded significantly since 2019, first HSE report shows

The Health Service Executive (HSE) has released its inaugural report detailing the termination of pregnancy services since their commencement in January 2019. The findings reveal a substantial increase in access to abortion across Ireland over the past seven years. All 19 maternity hospitals now offer medical termination services under the act, and the number of General Practitioners contracted to provide early medical abortion has grown from 310 to 480.

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All 19 maternity hospitals now provide medical termination under the act.

Between 2019 and 2024, a total of 46,841 terminations of pregnancy were notified. The annual figures show a steady rise, from 6,666 in the service's first year to 10,852 in the most recent year. Dublin recorded the highest number of notifications with 17,300, followed by Cork, Galway, Limerick, and Kildare.

The report highlights that community-based early medical abortion has become the primary method of care. For women requiring hospital treatment, all maternity hospitals now provide services. Data from a pilot electronic monitoring system for hospital-based care indicates that 81% of procedures were medical terminations and 19% were surgical. Approximately two-thirds of women were between 10 and 12 weeks pregnant when undergoing the procedure, and over 80% of reviews in secondary care were completed within five days of referral.

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GPs contracted to provide early medical abortion also increased from 310 to 480 since 2019.

Complications were recorded in 6% of the 305 hospital cases examined, with most involving suspected incomplete termination, bleeding, or infection. Serious complications were noted as uncommon. The report also reviewed the process for termination request refusals between 2019 and 2024, which involved ten reviews, resulting in five approvals and five upholding the original decision.

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46,841 terminations of pregnancy were notified between 2019 and 2024, with annual numbers rising from 6,666 in the first year of the service to 10,852 last year.

Reflections from healthcare providers and support organizations identified ongoing challenges, including regional access disparities, limited surgical abortion availability in some hospitals, and barriers for migrant and rural women. Protests outside some GP practices also presented difficulties. Support groups for families experiencing fatal fetal anomalies praised the compassionate care from bereavement and fetal medicine teams but called for more standardized experiences and clearer information.

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Dublin accounted for the highest number of notifications over the six-year period, with 17,300, followed by Cork (4,223), Galway (2,067), Limerick (1,931) and Kildare (1,907).