Temple Street apologises over ‘failings’ in care of boy

Temple Street Childrens Hospital has apologised to a seven-year-old boy who sued over neurological damage allegedly suffered while being monitored for a low blood sugar condition as a newborn baby.

Luke Yore was in cardiac arrest when he was discovered by a nurse who was washing her hands near his cot, the High Court was told. He had to be resuscitated, the court heard.

At the High Court, the boy settled his action against Temple Street Children’s Hospital on terms including an interim payment of €1m for the next eight years

In an apology read on behalf of the hospital, Mona Baker, chief executive of Temple Street Hospital, expressed “our sincere apologies for the failings that caused the injuries to Luke and the consequential trauma experienced by Luke and his family”.

Luke, of Maghera, Virginia, Co Cavan had, through his mother Margaret, sued the Childrens University Hospital at Temple Street, Dublin.

It was alleged there was failure to properly manage the boy while under care of the hospital and failure to attach an apnoea monitor and to ensure it was working.

It was alleged there were failures to ensure a monitoring system was attached to the baby and to ensure nursing staff constantly monitored him.

The hospital admitted failings in relation to the monitoring machine but claimed the cause of the boy’s injuries was his low blood sugar condition.

Bruce Antioniotti SC, for Luke, said he was born in Cavan General Hospital on August 10th, 2007. He weighed 4.95kg at birth and was admitted to the neo-natal special care unit. His blood sugars were monitored and he required intravenous dextrose infusion, counsel said.

He appeared to have symptoms of hypoglycemia and was transferred to Temple Street Hospital where his hypoglycemia was controlled by giving him glucose intravenously and through oral feeds.

At 2.40am, the baby was found in a distressed state and grunting by a nurse who happened to be washing her hands near his cot, counsel said. The child was in cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated.

Counsel said it was not known how long the baby’s heart was stopped but he suffered neurological damage and now has mild to moderate cerebral palsy which has left him with memory and speech difficulties.

Luke attends mainstream school and loves to ride horses and play Gaelic football, counsel added.

Margaret Yore said the family now wanted to look forward and to give Luke every opportunity in life.

Approving the settlement, Mr Justice Michael Moriarty said it was a good one and he allowed €1,000 so Luke could have "a treat".

“Maybe tickets to an All-Ireland football final or something like that,” the judge said.