Courts

Family settles action over death of woman (77) allegedly found unresponsive on GP treatment room floor

Mary O’Donoghue had been attending a Mallow GP’s clinic for a routine therapeutic blood-removal procedure

The woman was transferred to Cork University Hospital, where the family were later told she had suffered a brain injury. Photograph: Andy Gibson
The woman was transferred to Cork University Hospital, where the family were later told she had suffered a brain injury. Photograph: Andy Gibson
Fri Nov 08 2024 - 16:21

The family of a 77-year-old woman who attended a GP for a blood removal procedure but later died has settled a High Court action over her death.

Mary O’Donoghue was allegedly found unresponsive on the floor of a treatment room at Cork Road Clinic, Mallow, Co Cork, some time after she had the venesection procedure four years ago.

Ms O’Donoghue’s daughter Lisa Conway, Mallow, Co Cork, sued GP Elizabeth Hyde, with a practice at Cork Road Clinic, Mallow Primary Healthcare Clinic, Gouldshill, Mallow, Co Cork. All of the claims were denied.

The confidential settlement is without an admission of liability. Senior counsel John Lucey said the case was before the court for the division of the statutory mental distress payment of €35,000 only.

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In the proceedings it was claimed that Ms O’Donoghue was diagnosed in 2019 with an inherited condition that causes iron to build up in the body. A course of therapeutic venesection, which involves the regular removal of blood, was arranged.

Ms O’Donoghue attended a number of venesection appointments at the Cork Road Clinic throughout 2019 and January 2020. It was claimed that it was not unusual for the pensioner to feel unwell following the blood removal, and it was her routine to stay in the clinic until she felt well enough to leave, whereupon she would phone her husband and ask him to collect her.

It was claimed on February 5th, 2020, that Ms O’Donoghue attended the Cork Road Clinic for venesection and the GP Elizabeth Hyde consulted with her and the venesection was carried out in the treatment room.

It was further claimed that, following the treatment, Ms O’Donoghue allegedly remained in the treatment room alone. Her husband phoned her and she indicated to him she was ready to go, but it is claimed he thought she sounded particularly weak on the phone.

David O’Donoghue, when he got to the clinic, went into the waiting room but after 20 minutes he noticed a commotion. It is claimed he was told his wife was very ill and the doctors were with her and he was advised to contact the rest of the family.

It was claimed that a practice nurse had entered the treatment room and found Ms O’Donoghue on the floor by the couch, unresponsive and bleeding from her nose, with no pulse. CPR was started and she was intubated and transferred to Cork University Hospital, where the family were later told she had suffered a brain injury. She died on February 8th, 2020.

It was claimed there was a failure at the clinic to continue supervision of the pensioner after venesection until she was in an appropriate condition to leave the surgery and that she had allegedly been left alone in the clinic treatment room after the procedure.

All of the claims were denied.

Approving the settlement, Mr Justice Paul Coffey conveyed his deepest sympathy to Mary O’Donoghue’s family.