The family of a HIV patient told the Dublin Coroner’s Court that they believe he faced prejudice from staff when he was transferred to an elderly care unit at Cherry Orchard Hospital.
David Earls (52), who was resident at the Sycamore East Unit in the Ballyfermot hospital, died at St James’s Hospital on November 30th, 2012, having developed pneumonia.
He had been a long-term resident of the Rowan ward at Cherry Orchard, a respite unit for HIV patients. However, this was closed in autumn 2012 and Mr Earls and another long-stay patient were transferred to Sycamore East, an older person’s unit.
His family told the Dublin coroner that the level of care he received after the move was markedly different. His sister Mary Earls said she felt he was being “neglected”. She said on one occasion she found him strapped to a toilet “like an animal” with no means of ringing a call bell for help.
Long-term care
The court heard Mr Earls was diagnosed with HIV in 1983. He was subsequently diagnosed with a condition that caused dense paralysis of the right upper and lower limbs, swallow and speech problems. He required long-term care and had been resident at Cherry Orchard for 12 years.
Dr Seamus O’Dea, senior medical officer at the hospital, said Mr Earls had a number of life-threatening illnesses in recent years. In the week before his death, an infection was suspected and an antibiotic was administered. His condition deteriorated significantly on November 26th and he was transferred to St James’s Hospital where he died four days later.
The pathologist gave the cause of death as acute bronchopneumonia.
During the inquest his family raised questions about the quality of the care he received in Sycamore East. Alice Earls said they felt there was a prejudice among some nurses in the unit because their brother was drug dependent and had HIV.
The coroner asked Dr O’Dea if medical staff had been conscious of any negative reactions.
“I was aware and upset that somehow family members of the other residents had become aware of David’s . . . diagnoses. I don’t think that the staff would have discriminated against David deliberately but there may have been a certain kind of caution or fearfulness,” he replied.
Coroner Dr Brian Farrell said that Mr Earls’ illness was the result of drugs use in his youth and returned a verdict death by misadventure.
He said he will write to Cherry Orchard to request management review the situation around the transfer of patients who require a high level of care.