The family of a woman who died 10 days after being discharged from hospital when she allegedly still had a post-operative infection, have settled their case against the HSE.
Christine Doyle (69), a mother of four and grandmother, could barely walk and had to be helped by her husband and daughter when discharged from the Midland Regional Hospital in Mullingar after a routine gallbladder operation, Richard Kean SC, for her family, said.
Mrs Doyle died 10 days later from hypovolemic shock as a result of a delayed post operative haemorrhage, counsel said.
Mr Kean SC, with Esther Earley BL, said the case concerned a “tragic and disturbing” death of a woman who was much loved and the circumstances of her discharge from hospital was a major issue.
Her family are still troubled they had to wait one hour and 20 minutes for an ambulance on the night she died, he added.
He was outlining the case by Mrs Doyle’s widower Colm, Ballinalee, Co Longford, and her family against the HSE over her care at the Mullingar hospital in 2013.
The case settled on Wednesday on confidential terms without admission of liability.
The settlement included a letter from the HSE offering its “sincere sympathies” and expressing sorrow over the death of Mrs Doyle on September 16th, 2013.
Outside court, Mrs Doyle’s daughter Dympna Cromb, on behalf of the family, said, although the HSE had passed on its condolences, the family were disappointed it had not given details of measures put in place to prevent such a thing happening again.
“The emotional torment we have endured as a family over the last four years is completely unacceptable and needless” she said.
In the action, it was claimed Mrs Doyle attended the hospital in July 2013 and was found to have symptomatic gallstones which required surgery which was carried out on August 28th, 2013.
It was claimed Mrs Doyle developed an infection afterwards and was treated with intravenous antibiotics but, despite the presence of the ongoing infection, was discharged from hospital and subsequently died on September 16th, 2013.
It was claimed there was failure to bring an infection developed post operatively under control.
It was further claimed Mrs Doyle had been recommenced on Warfarin therapy on August 31st, 2013 and was continued on Warfarin therapy from that point despite her demonstrating signs of sepsis and infection.
It was alleged she was discharged from hospital on September 6th, 2013 when she was unfit for discharge and when her infection, sepsis, was not adequately under control. It was further claimed there was failure to heed her ongoing complaints of abdominal pain and her condition on the date of discharge.
The claims were denied.