Professor Fergal Malone:

At present when patients come back to us after going to the United Kingdom, they are managed in a completely professional and non-judgmental way. We understand the terrible journey that they have made. One has to realise these are very much wanted pregnancies where everything was going along well and suddenly the rug was pulled out from under them, they were diagnosed with this major abnormality, and they found themselves on this journey to another country with a sense of shame and, as the Deputy points out, being judged. It is tremendously traumatic for them. We feel strongly that patients, when they return, get the complete care that they would have received had the procedure been performed here. We try to pick up the pieces as much as we can, given that the procedure happened elsewhere. We work closely with our colleagues in the United Kingdom. Our team generally have gone to visit the units in the United Kingdom. We try and demystify it as much as possible by telling our patients who they are likely to meet to try and make the terrible journey just that little bit easier, and help them when they come back, but it is tremendously difficult.