The Kildare coroner is investigating two suspicious deaths following the suspension of a registered nurse from Naas General Hospital, write Eithne Donnellan, Health Correspondent & Liam Reid.
The activities of the nurse, as revealed in yesterday's Irish Times, are now the subject of a major Garda investigation.
The coroner for Kildare, Prof Denis Cusack, said that based on information provided to him, he was satisfied the two deaths at Naas hospital "may have occurred in an unnatural manner". The deaths were reported to him on July 16th and July 21st.
Efforts were being made last night to establish a complete list of all hospitals or other institutions the nurse may have worked in since she took up registration.
The investigation began after a member of staff expressed concern to management about the amount of medication given to one patient by the nurse.
That patient recovered but it led to concerns about the deaths of two previous patients at the hospital who had been under the nurse's care. It is understood the agency nurse, who worked at Naas hospital for the first six months of this year, registered with An Bord Altranais, which regulates the nursing profession, only last year.
She is Irish and worked for a Dublin-based nursing agency.
An Bord Altranais will hold a special board meeting next week to consider the circumstances surrounding the nurse's suspension.
As part of the overall investigation, gardaí exhumed the body of 77-year-old Mr John Gethings, who died at Naas hospital on March 1st, from a cemetery at Baltinglass, Co Wicklow, at first light yesterday.
The dead man's son, also called John, said yesterday that his family suspected nothing untoward in relation to their father's death until July 18th, when they were contacted by the South Western Area Health Board (SWAHB) and gardaí.
Gardaí at Naas began the investigation in conjunction with the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation on July 14th following a complaint from the SWAHB.
The nurse was suspended from duty that day.
The health board has established an independent inquiry, led by Mr Liam Dunbar, former chief executive of St James's Hospital and the blood bank.
The other member of the inquiry panel is Ms Mary McHugh, director of nursing at Galway's University College Hospital.
The health board said its report, which is likely to examine whether appropriate checks are in place in relation to the employment of agency nurses, would be published. A separate clinical audit will also take place, the board said.
A post-mortem on Mr Gethings's remains was carried out by the Deputy State Pathologist, Dr Marie Cassidy, at the Dublin City Morgue yesterday before the body was taken back to Baltinglass and reinterred following a short service.
Prof Cusack said consideration would not be given to the exhumation of the body of the second deceased, a person in the 50 to 60 age bracket, until the results of toxicology tests on Mr Gethings were known. He indicated the results of these tests may not be known for "several weeks".
The Minister for Health, Mr Martin, said he was aware of "the situation" but could not comment because a Garda investigation was under way.