NI Health Authorities criticised for "presuming" 6500 abortions
Precious Life have criticised Health officials for assuming and making plans for up 6,500 abortions per year in Northern Ireland.
The figure was found in the notes of a meeting involving officials from Northern Ireland’s Health and Social Care Board held last December, just a couple of months after abortion was forced on Northern Ireland from Westminster.
They relate to a discussion among health officials about how many abortions they would need to cater for in NI, presuming that abortion rates here will be the same as England and Wales
In England and Wales, abortion rates are now at their highest since the Abortion Act was passed in 1967. Over 50 years later, the figure has risen to 209,519 babies killed in 2019, meaning nearly a quarter of all pregnancies end in abortion.
Director of Precious Life Bernadette Smyth said, “There were around 22,500 pregnancies in Northern Ireland last year. But there is absolutely no reason to make the presumption that a quarter of those pregnancies will end in abortion. Northern Ireland has a pro-life culture, the majority of people here have stood united against abortion for 50 years. The people here didn’t ask for abortion to be legalised, it was forced on us by MPs in Westminster who aren’t even from Northern Ireland.
“Apart from the evil of killing babies, there is also the high financial cost. Abortions are never ‘free.’ Abortions carried out by the NHS cost the taxpayer at least £600 – and even up to £1,200. So even a conservative estimate of 6,500 abortions in Northern Ireland would cost £4,000,000 of taxpayer’s money
Senior Economist Dr Esmond Birnie has estimated the cost could be even higher at 5 million. [1]
Ms Smyth added, “According to the BBC, there are more than 300,000 people on waiting lists in Northern Ireland. [2] How do these people feel knowing the genuine medical treatment they urgently need is delayed, while money is being spent on killing unborn babies?”
Bernadette Smyth concluded, “Instead of planning for 6500 abortions, Health Authorities in Northern Ireland should be channelling their efforts into providing support to organisations like Stanton Healthcare who help abortion-vulnerable women make life-affirming choices. Women always deserve better than abortion.”
1. Liberalising abortion law will cost £5m a year and stretch our health service: economist
2. NI health: More than 300,000 waiting for first consultant appointment