A Clare Government TD has called for a state apology, following the death of Shannon teenager Aoife Johnston at University Hospital Limerick.
It follows a verdict of medical misadventure at the inquest into the death of the 16-year-old, who passed away in December 2022, after spending twelve hours on chairs in the Emergency Department.
Aoife Johnston died on December 19th, 2022 when her parents said they watched their daughter die, despite begging staff at University Hospital Limerick for help.
The inquest into her death this week heard the Shannon teenager presented with an on-call GP referral letter which queried sepsis, and under protocols she should have been seen within 15 minutes.
A doctor didn’t examine her for 12 hours though, and she didn’t receive what was said to be life-saving antibiotics until 15 hours after she presented, when it was too late.
Staff members working while Aoife johnston attended UHL cried as they gave evidence in the witness box, with some describing the facility as a “warzone” on the day she presented.
In a statement, CEO of the HSE, Bernard Gloster said there’s considerable work to be done to ensure the people of the mid-west have a service they have confidence in.
But Shannon Councillor Donna McGettigan says you cannot have confidence, when incidents at the hospital have led to people saying “they’d rather die at home, than go there”.
The Sinn Fein General Election candidate insists it’s time to stand with the Johnston family, and other families who’ve had similar experiences, and push for Ennis’ A&E to be re-opened in light of the revelations at the inquest.
A Clare Government TD has called for a state apology for the “collossal” failures that led to the death of Aoife Johnston, saying no apology from politicians or the HSE can reverse what’s emerged at this weeks inquiry.
Cathal Crowe, who together with Clare Fine Gael Senator Martin Conway is a member of the Oireachtas Health Committee, says sepsis protocols have been tightened as a result of recent work carried out by the committee.
The Meelick Deputy believes sytematic failures go back to 2009, when his own party was in Goverment, and says the decision to wind back services at Ennis, Nenagh and St John’s failed this region.
Deputy Crowe insists there’s an inevitability that the Midwest will need a second ED due to the projected population rise, but says the necessary capacity and resources must be in place first, in order to open one safely.
You can listen to the full interview below.
