The Health Service Executive (HSE) has admitted that negligent care in hospital resulted in the death of a mother of five in January 2010.
Eileen Brady (65) from Crosskeys in County Cavan had been admitted to the Cavan General Hospital on 5th January 2010 after her GP had diagnosed that mouth ulcers she was suffering from were attributable to a poor fluid intake.
At the time of her hospital admission, Eileen was also undergoing chemotherapy treatment in Dublin for stomach cancer and the intravenous dehydration treatment she received at Cavan General Hospital was ineffective due to her veins collapsing.
An investigation into Eileen´s death revealed that it could have been prevented if hospital staff had paid closer attention to Eileen´s medical charts, consulted senior doctors when her condition continued to deteriorate, or spoken with the hospital in Dublin where Eileen was receiving her chemotherapy.
On behalf of the Brady family, Eileen´s eldest son – Martin -made a compensation claim for negligent care in hospital; alleging that he and other members of the Brady family had suffered mental distress due to their mother´s tragic and avoidable death.
The HSE admitted that negligent care in hospital had caused Eileen´s death, and the family´s claim for compensation was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount. However, as part of the settlement, the family wanted to hear an apology read out in court.
Consequently, at the High Court in Dublin before Ms Justice Mary Irvine, barristers representing the HSE read a statement in which the Executive apologise for the failings in care which resulted in Eileen´s death and for the grief that had been suffered by Eileen´s family and friends.
Another of Eileen´s sons – Aidan – responded by reading a statement in which he hoped both Cavan General Hospital and the HSE had learned from “the grave mistakes” made in the care of his mother – after which Ms Justice Mary Irvine extended her personal sympathy to Eileen´s family and closed the hearing.
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