Dr. Brendan O'Shea:

On behalf of the Irish College of General Practitioners, I thank the committee very much for inviting us to make a submission and assist in the difficult, important and complex task on which the committee has embarked. The Irish College of General Practitioners wishes the committee the very best in the successful completion of its job. I am accompanied by Dr. Karena Hanley and we have been requested to present the Irish general practice perspective on crisis pregnancy focusing on the health of the woman, with no distinction being drawn between physical and mental health in the context of the eighth amendment of the Constitution.

As family doctors, general practitioners, GPs, are familiar with the reproductive health-care challenges facing Irish women. Irish GPs provide antenatal care to Irish women. For the majority of pregnant women, antenatal care and support before 20 weeks' gestation is provided by GPs alone. After this date, GPs provide shared antenatal care with hospital colleagues in obstetrics and midwifery. When a pregnancy is unwanted, Irish GPs support and provide evidence-based care for women through this difficult experience, which will be articulated in this submission. Irish GPs also provide high-quality contraception health care to Irish women and men. Thus, the Irish College of General Practitioners, ICGP, is well placed to understand the concerns and fears facing Irish women regarding reproductive health care.

The ICGP has been asked by the committee to focus on the health of the woman, with no distinction being drawn between physical and mental health, in the context of the eighth amendment of the Irish Constitution. The World Health Organisation definition of "health" since 1948 states:

Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

Evidence-based management of crisis pregnancy, with a focus on the effects on the health of the woman, is included in this evidence-based submission.