A hospital porter was accidentally pricked twice with syringe needles in the space of a year. He suffered severe depression and post-traumatic stress which led to marriage difficulties and an overwhelming sense of fear in his job.
Mr Gerard Grant, of Brookfield Park, The Lough, Cork, sued the Southern Health Board and was awarded £10,000 damages for the first accident and £2,500 for the second, which occurred, respectively, in November 1995 and October 1996.
He appealed the £2,500 award to the High Court in Cork and yesterday Ms Justice Laffoy increased the amount to £6,360. Mr Grant was a porter in Cork University Hospital and was just recovering from the psychological damage caused from being jabbed in the leg in 1995 when the second jabbing occurred.
On October 13th, 1996, he was carrying a bag of rubbish when a needle protruded through the plastic and pricked him on the leg, breaking the skin.
"After the first accident, depression set in. I was very scared of getting hepatitis or HIV and it took me nine months, until I got the all-clear from tests, to calm down," he said. His sexual relationship with his wife ceased and he was "cranky" with his child.
"I was beginning to recover and settled back down after I was told I was not contaminated by the needle jab of November 1995. My home situation was just beginning to come right and my wife and I had resumed physical relations. Then, when the second incident occurred, it was like the rug was pulled from under me."
Since February, Mr Grant has been working in another health board job and said his health had greatly improved.
A psychologist, Mr Martin Philpott, said Mr Grant had significant symptoms of depression. He was suffering from insomnia, was easily startled, was cautious at work and his relationship with his wife was in difficulty.