Beaumont apologises over treatment of Gerry Feeney

Beaumont hospital has apologised over its treatment of the late Gerry Feeney, aspects of which have been described by an investigation as "unacceptable".

Mr Feeney’s case was highlighted in the media in February when the 81-year-old’s family claimed he was treated with “no dignity” as he sat in a “soiled state, in public view” while in the care of Beaumont Hospital for respiratory problems.

An independent investigation commissioned by the hospital said it was “completely unacceptable” that Mr Feeney’s incontinence pad was undone and he was left exposed on a ward, RTÉ reported.

But the report added that, for the most part, hospital policy was complied with and Mr Feeney’s hygiene needs and care were not neglected.

However, Mr Feeney’s niece, Anne-Marie Feeney, rejected these findings. “We don’t feel and we don’t accept that Gerry received the standard of care that he should have,” she told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland.

She added that her uncle, who also suffered from Parkinson’s disease, had been “traumatised” by his treatment and had attempted to pay visitors to bring him back to his nursing home.

She said Mr Feeney’s family were open to meeting Beaumont hospital management and Minister for Health Leo Varadkar.

She also called for the establishment of a health or hospital ombudsman, saying the report prepared for Beaumont amounted to doctors investigating doctors and “we don’t feel they got the whole story”.

Mr Feeney died in a nursing home on January 31st, three weeks after being discharged from Beaumont.

He was getting blood tests at the hospital when he was initially admitted by a doctor who was concerned about his breathing on December 8th 2014.

He was discharged the next day by a different doctor, and returned to Raheny House Nursing Home. Two days later the nursing home, worried about his breathing difficulties, called an ambulance to bring him back to the hospital.

Ms Feeney said he was treated with no dignity while on the Beaumont geriatric ward. A photograph taken by a relative during this time shows him in a dishevelled state, sitting on a chair and wearing a stained hospital gown.

In February, Mr Varadkar described Mr Feeney’s case as “very distressing”.

Beaumont said: “The report of the investigation team was submitted to Beaumont Hospital on October 17th, 2015. Beaumont provided a copy of this report to the family on October 23rd and the hospital again apologised for the aspects of the failings in the care provided to the patient, specifically regarding his dignity.

“The Hospital has also offered to meet with the family to provide assurance that the issues arising from the investigation are being dealt with at a senior level.”

It added: “The report makes a number of recommendations. Beaumont Hospital accepts these recommendations and is now implementing an action plan to put these into effect.

Recommendations made by the review team included:

--The need for additional safeguards to the Beaumont Hospital Information System.

--A review of Hospital Discharge Policy to include a requirement that a patient should not be discharged until it is authorised in writing in the clinical records by a Senior Clinical Decision Maker.

--The need to remind staff of ward policy on staffing requirements in cohort bays.

--The recording of names and areas of responsibility to be extended to Health Care Assistants.

--The production and distribution of a leaflet on advice to patients and relatives when washing clothes to reduce the risk of infection.

The Office of the Ombudsman, Peter Tyndall, has pointed out that it can examine complaints about public hospitals, and public and private nursing homes.

“The Minister for Health has also proposed that the Ombudsman’s office be given the additional power to examine complaints about clinical judgement (for example, the diagnosis of a patient) which is currently outside the Ombudsman’s remit,” a spokesman for the Office of the Ombudsman added.