A woman whose daughter died at Cork University Hospital has said the health system “seriously failed” the 12-year-old.
Leslie-Ann McGeough told Mr Justice Paul Coffey in the High Court she believed Abigail had died “for the simple reason that the doctors of both Cork University Hospital (CUH) and Beaumont Hospital, Dublin would not listen to me”.
Ms McGeough was speaking after settling her case over a misdiagnosis of Abigail’s symptoms relating to a brain shunt blockage, despite the fact that the girl had presented to hospitals on five occasions between November 2019 and April 2020.
Abigail, from Cork city, who had cerebral palsy and spina bifida, had a brain shunt inserted when she was three months old.
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Ms McGeough cried as she told the court she had been warned to look out for shunt blockage or malfunction symptoms and that any delay in shunt blockage treatment could be fatal.
“However on December 22nd, 2019, I knew that there was something wrong with the shunt and I brought Abi to CUH and asked them to check for shunt malfunction. They dismissed me,” she said.
“I asked for a second opinion and I was referred to Beaumont Hospital, and attended there on December 27th, 2019. Beaumont dismissed me as they seem to rely on what CUH had said.”
Ms McGeough told Mr Justice Coffey: ”Unfortunately my fears of shunt blockage turned out to be true because my darling Abi died of a shunt blockage on May 9th, 2020.”
Mirian Reilly SC, instructed by Cantillons Solicitors, for the family, told the court that liability was admitted in the case.
In a letter read to the court, the chief executives of CUH and Beaumont Hospital expressed their deepest condolences over Abigail‘s tragic death.
“We are deeply sorry for the distress, suffering and loss you have endured and continue to endure since Abigail’s death,” they said.
The letter thanked Ms McGeough for participating in the mediation process towards a settlement of the case.
“While the legal aspect is concluded, we will reflect on the events of each of Abigail’s final attendances in our hospitals and work with the risk-management teams to learn and improve our practice in every aspect warranted.”
Speaking outside the Four Courts with members of her family, Ms McGeough said liability had not been admitted in the case until last August, more than four years after her daughter’s death.
She said it was only through taking legal proceedings and getting independent expert reports that she was able to find out the truth about what had caused the death.
“This is no way to run a health system. The truth should always come out when adverse events occur, not for the purposes of punishing but rather to prevent such a further tragedy occurring again,” she said. “The health system seriously failed Abi, causing her death.”
She called on the Minister for Health to ensure hospital patient safety managers investigate adverse outcomes in their hospitals “in a proper, fair, timely and impartial way” without forcing people to go down the legal route.
“Our family tree has been broken, never to be repaired,” she said. “Abi has missed out on so much in life, including her much-longed-for cousins and her many hopes and plans for her future.”
Approving the settlement, including the division of the statutory mental distress payment of €35,000, Mr Justice Coffey extended his deepest sympathy to Abigail’s mother and extended family.
