Dr. Rhona Mahony:

I agree. We are just starting to develop really good perinatal hospice care services in terms of the ancillary multidisciplinary care we need to provide. It is not just a matter for doctors and midwives but also involves social workers and bereavement counsellors. We are seeing lovely developments in capturing memories for couples, a sort of anticipatory grief when we know that it will be a very difficult time for them. We are learning from patients' experiences and engaging with patients and trying to understand what has made a good positive difference and where perhaps we have said the wrong thing or not done the right thing. Part of the conversation in Ireland in the past few years has also focused our minds on improving care for those women who do stay at home to continue with their pregnancy. We increasingly understand the difference providing really good care, not just for the woman but also for her family, can make. That is a very positive development.

As doctors, our job is to provide the information, make the diagnosis and provide the benefit of what information and clinical experience is available in order that patients are informed to make their decisions. If I have a value system, it is absolutely the provision of safe clinical care for women and infants in this country.