A consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist will seek a permanent injunction next week preventing a private clinic and its chief executive from interfering with how she medically treats her patients.
The High Court will decide on Wednesday whether to make permanent a temporary injunction granted to Andrea Hermann against the Galway Clinic where she has consulting rooms.
Ms Hermann was granted an ex parte (without the presence of the other side) injunction by the High Court on December 13th. She subsequently obtained a temporary injunction, and there have since been four adjournments of a full hearing.
The injunction prevents the clinic and its chief executive from interfering with the doctor-patient relationship between Ms Hermann and her patients, or with any aspect of her treatment of them, including the performance of operations that are legal in the State.
It is understood that in her affidavits Ms Hermann claims that operations were cancelled by the clinic without her knowledge. The clinic has filed replying affidavits in defence of its actions.
The Galway Clinic opened in July 2004 and has up to 75 consultants in 39 suites.
One of its main founders is orthopaedic surgeon James Sheehan, who was also involved in the setting up of the Blackrock Clinic and the Hermitage Clinic, a 125-bed hospital in Lucan, Co Dublin.
The 101-bed clinic provides facilities for a range of services including cancer, orthopaedic, cardiothoracic and general surgery and gastroenterology.
There is a prayer book on every patient's bedside locker, and Mr Sheehan has said that this clinic has a Roman Catholic ethos and he "is not ashamed to say so".
He has previously expressed his concern that Catholic hospitals are being sold off, rather than the religious orders involved seeking lay support for maintaining them, which means the loss of their "caring ethos" to the health system.
Procedures such as sterilisations, which are legal but contravene the teachings of the Catholic church, are not offered in the Galway or the Blackrock clinics.
It is understood that a circular referring to the Catholic ethos of the Galway Clinic is part of one of the affidavits being presented by Ms Hermann to the High Court.