Healthcare services are being urged to check their records after a substantial fall in the number of abortions reported to the Government.

There were 4,577 abortions reported to the Department of Health last year, according to the third annual report on terminations.

The figure is “substantially lower” than that reported in the previous two years – when over 6,500 abortions were reported.

Meanwhile, figures from the HSE suggest around 6,700 termination of pregnancy second consultation claims for reimbursement were made under the Primary Care Reimbursement Scheme (PCRS) last year.

“Following these engagements, it is reasonable to conclude, based on the information available, that the number of terminations of pregnancy notified to the Minister is substantially lower than the number of terminations carried out in 2021,” the Department of Health said in a statement.

It said there was a significant decrease in notifications from May through to August – a period which coincided with the HSE cyberattack.

The department said 2021 was an “enormously challenging year” for the health service; however, all GPs and Hospitals are legally obliged to report all abortions and the grounds they were approved under.

It is urging all healthcare services that carried out abortions last year to check their records as a matter of priority.

According to the annual report show 4,513 early medical abortions were notified to the department last year.

There were 53 abortions carried out on the grounds of a fatal foetal anomaly

Nine were due to a risk to the life or health of the mother, and two were on the grounds of a risk to the life or health of the mother in an emergency.