The High Court yesterday approved a settlement of €1.7 million for the widow of a 29-year-old father of two who died after being admitted to Tallaght hospital where it was claimed there were significant delays in diagnosing his condition.
It was claimed that there was a failure to properly diagnose Nicholas Meade's chicken- pox and to treat him with an anti-viral drug at the earliest opportunity and to provide Mr Meade, who suffered from Crohn's disease, with appropriate treatment and intensive care at the earliest opportunity.
Mr Justice Richard Johnson yesterday approved the settlement which included €1.1 million for Mr Meade's widow and €246,500 for Alex (9) and €263,000 Zach (7).
The court heard the hospital accepted liability in the case and regretted the death of Mr Meade.
Nicholas Meade, Willsbrook View, Lucan, Co Dublin, died seven days after being admitted to Tallaght hospital suffering from chickenpox in January 1999.
His wife, Wendy Meade, had sued the Adelaide and Meath Hospital, Dublin, which is the body responsible for the day to day running and operation of Tallaght hospital.
It was claimed that Tallaght hospital failed to provide Mr Meade with adequate or proper treatment when he attended the hospital on January 2st 1999, and that he was incorrectly diagnosed in relation to his condition. It was further claimed there were significant delays in diagnosing and treating his condition.
Mr Meade's death, it was claimed, was caused by the negligence of the hospital. The hospital, it was claimed, failed to have any or proper emergency procedures in place so as to ensure that a seriously ill person such as Mr Meade was admitted as soon as possible. It was also negligent, it was claimed, in failing to take any adequate steps to ensure there was not a 13-hour delay in admitting Mr Meade as a patient and failing to take adequate steps to ensure that he got appropriate treatment for chickenpox as soon as possible.
Counsel for Mrs Meade, Hugh Mohan SC, said Mr Meade suffered from Crohn's disease, which is an inflammation of the digestive system. In 1999 he had abdominal pain and was on a high-dose steroid therapy, which made him immunosuppressant. Mr Meade developed the signs of chickenpox and what followed, counsel said, was a tragic sequence of events. He went to his GP on January 20th, 1999, and she rang Tallaght hospital asking should she prescribe an antiviral drug. Counsel said the hospital said not to as they would deal with the situation when Mr Meade came in in two days' time. Counsel told the court a person with Crohn's disease should get the antiviral drug.
Mr Meade, he said, stayed away from his wife and children because he had chickenpox. At 2am on January 21st he rang his wife and told her he was not feeling well and was going to drive himself to hospital.
He was admitted to Tallaght hospital complaining of severe abdominal pain and suffering from chickenpox.
Counsel said the chickenpox increased in size and Mr Meade's skin deteriorated starting to crack and break. Nobody, counsel said, had made the connection with Crohn's disease.
Mr Meade, he said, was moved to a medical storage room to keep him out of the way because of the chickenpox and later to an age-related ward. Mr Meade never got the type of treatment required in this case, counsel added. He read from an expert's medical report in which he said Mr Meade presented with life-threatening complications of his treatment for Crohn's disease. If he was to survive, he would require prompt recognition of his condition and treatment.
The expert concluded that Mr Meade should have survived.