Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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583. To ask the Minister for Health if he is aware of any legal claims brought by women following consultations by telemedicine under section 12 of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018; if he is contemplating introducing support services for person who may be or who already been adversely impacted following their access to telemedicine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57329/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Health is not aware of any legal claims brought by women following a consultation via telemedicine.

As part of the Government’s ongoing efforts to protect public health and limit the spread of COVID-19, the Department of Health and the Health Service Executive (HSE) worked together in 2020 to put arrangements in place to allow termination of pregnancy services in early pregnancy to be provided remotely.

For the duration of the COVID-19 public health emergency, where the need for social distancing, reducing personal contacts and reducing the burden on medical practitioners are paramount, it became possible for a woman to access a termination under section 12 of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 (i.e., before 12 weeks) from her medical practitioner by telephone or video conference consultation.

There is ongoing engagement between the Department of Health and the HSE to monitor service provision, facilitate the smooth-running of the service and resolve any issues that may arise. However, as restrictions began to ease, it became timely to revisit the Model of Care to review its operation and consider whether remote consultation as part of a blended approach to termination of pregnancy care should be continued post the COVID-19 public health emergency period.

At the request of the Department, the HSE conducted a review of the Revised Model of Care for Termination of Pregnancy.

The review of the Model of Care for the Termination of Pregnancy Service found that the majority of providers within primary care feel that a blend of remote and in-person care is optimal.

In-person consultations allow provision of personalised care and allow potential problems to be identified and mitigated, while remote provision improves access for many women and addresses geographical and logistical barriers. It also alleviates some of the difficulty associated with the mandatory 3-day waiting period.

The review found that the provision of a remote consultation as part of the termination of pregnancy service is safe, effective and acceptable to both service users and providers.

The findings of this review are currently being examined as part of a deliberative process. The consideration of appropriate next steps will form part of this process.