Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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I thank the witness for appearing before the committee. He has provided answers to many of my questions. An Irish clinician who has dealt with women who travelled to the United Kingdom for abortions appeared before the committee. For legal reasons, such doctors cannot refer the medical files of such women to a doctor in the United Kingdom. That may give rise to difficulty in the case, for example, of a woman who is bipolar or on anti-psychotic medication. What is Mr. Thompson's professional expert view on the difficulties for a doctor in the United Kingdom in treating an Irish woman whose doctor could not refer the medical file and who may not bring or relay that critical information on her condition to clinicians in the United Kingdom? I presume such information would have a huge impact on how she would be treated, dealt with and supported in the United Kingdom should she need a termination, such as in the case of a fatal foetal abnormality. What problems does that pose for doctors in the United Kingdom? The committee has heard from doctors working in Ireland who encounter a legal obstacle to referring medical files to treating doctors in the United Kingdom.