AN INQUIRY by Ireland’s health watchdog into the failure of State agencies to provide a timely airlift for a Leitrim teenager who subsequently missed out on a liver transplant will be completed within two to three weeks.
The Health Information and Quality Authority yesterday set out the terms of reference for an inquiry into the failure to provide Meadhbh McGivern (14) with a “timely integrated transfer” to a London hospital in order for her to receive a potentially life-saving liver transplant.
As well as looking into the circumstances of the incident the inquiry will also investigate the arrangements in place between relevant agencies to ensure “co-ordinated, safe and effective” emergency transfer of care for people requiring transplant surgery.
The inquiry arose after Ms McGivern and her parents Joe and Assumpta received a call from King’s College Hospital in London at 7.20pm on July 2nd to say a matching liver had been found.
A number of calls then took place between several agencies to arrange for a transfer. Having been told that no helicopters were available, the family were called to travel to Strandhill airport where they arrived at about 11.30pm to travel on a Coast Guard helicopter.
However, before taking off they were told that fuel stops would make it impossible to reach the hospital before a 2am deadline.