ANY doctor who carries out an abortion will face sanctions up to"
and including being struck off the Medical Register, according to the chairman of the Ethics Committee of the Medical Council, Mr Jim Clinch.
The ethical guidelines of the Medical Council state that all doctors, "while obeying the laws, of the State, must always be guided by their own informed consciences".
The guidelines continue: "Situations arise in medical practice where the life and/or health of the mother or of the unborn, or both, are endangered.
"In these situations, it is imperative ethically that doctors shall endeavour to preserve life and health. .. Departure from these principles in practice may leave the doctor open to a charge of professional misconduct.
In addition to facing disciplinary action under the ethical guidelines, a doctor who performed an abortion might find himself or herself criticised on clinical grounds. In Britain abortions in private clinics are always carried out by qualified gynaecologists.
In National Health Service hospitals they are usually carried out by junior hospital doctors under the supervision of gynaecologists.
Because abortions remain illegal in the Republic in practice, despite the Supreme Court ruling in the X case, no rules on procedures exist. However, a dilation and curettage procedure, carried out after an incomplete miscarriage and similar to an abortion, is usually carried out by a non-consultant hospital doctor, under the supervision of a gynaecologist.
Usually an abortion would be carried out under a general anaesthetic - especially if it was after 10 or 12 weeks - requiring the services of an anaesthetist, according to medical sources.
It is possible to carry out an early abortion under a local anaesthetic.
However, a doctor would need assistance in carrying out an abortion and, if it was a male doctor, would be further required in the UK not to operate on a female patient unattended.
This would implicate whoever assisted.
A nurse with experience of abortion abroad said that there were three risks associated with an abortion: infection, incomplete termination or perforation of the uterus.
In the latter two cases there would be heavy bleeding.
All these conditions would normally respond well to early treatment.