The family of a 25-year-old nurse who died by suicide in the mental health unit of University Hospital Galway (UHG) has settled a High Court action against the HSE.
The settlement over the death of Tara Coyne at the hospital on July 14th, 2020, six hours after she was voluntarily admitted, was before the High Court for the distribution of the statutory mental distress payment of €35,000.
Ms Coyne, who worked in the UK, had been suffering from anxiety and depression.
The family’s counsel, Kelda Doherty, instructed by solicitor Ciaran Tansey, told the court the HSE had admitted a breach of duty and causation in the case. Ms Coyne’s mother, Geraldine, of Roundstone, Co Galway, took the case on behalf of the family.
In a letter, UHG and the Saolta Group apologised to the Coyne family and acknowledged the tragic death of “your beloved Tara and the immeasurable personal loss to you and your family”.
It added: “The management team at the Adult Acute Mental Health Unit sincerely and unreservedly apologise to you and your family for failing to take remedial action in relation to [...] en suite doors in a more timely fashion.”
In a statement on the family’s behalf outside court, Tara’s sister Lisa Coyne said the family could not understand “and have serious questions as to how Tara was placed on only medium-frequency observation in the mental health unit of the hospital but was then found dead” within five and a half hours.
“This is especially so in light of Tara having admitted herself to that unit after an urgent recommendation from the community suicide crisis assessment nurse.”
She added: “We as a family still struggle with the timeline as set out by the hospital authorities.”
Ms Coyne said the family does not understand why an ambulance was not called until 9pm and “it took 55 minutes before Tara was transferred to the hospital’s resuscitation unit when the distance is only a two-minute drive”.
She said she hoped no other family experienced such a delay in obtaining a hospital report, noting the report on her sister’s case was completed on December 1st, 2020 but not issued to the family until February 3rd, 2023.
“Our family is broken beyond repair. Tara should never have lost her life,” she added.
Ms Coyne also revealed that while coming to terms with Tara’s death the family was shocked and appalled to receive an invoice for €80 from UHG’s patient accounts department. It included a cover letter which referred to Tara’s date of death as her date of discharge. She said the original invoice had been generated on July 20th, 2020, only six days after her sister’s death.
At the end of the court hearing, Mr Justice Paul Coffey said it was a heartbreaking case and he extended his deepest sympathy to the family.
“No words can comfort you for what has happened,” he said.
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