The HSE has apologised for “failings” in the care provided to a 17-year-old girl who died by suicide.
The teenager was under the care of Kerry Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (Camhs) at the time of her death in July 2021.
The teenager’s parents, who on Wednesday settled their High Court action over the death, broke down in court as the HSE’s apology was read out on the second day of their action. The couple sued for nervous shock over their daughter’s death.
The settlement was reached just before the girl’s mother was due to give evidence. The court previously heard she had made repeated contact with Camhs expressing concern about the girl’s deteriorating mental health and looking for an appointment with the service.
The letter of apology, written by HSE integrated healthcare area manager for Kerry Julie O’Neill, stated: “We are truly sorry for the failings in our care of your cherished daughter and for the trauma and grief that you and your extended family have suffered and will continue to suffer as a result.”
It went on: “As a result of the failings in your daughter’s care, we have engaged in a thorough reform of the services we provide to children like her, so that we can ensure as best we can that no other child or family will experience the failings in care, grief and trauma that you have suffered. We sincerely appreciate your valued input into this process. We accept however that this should never have been necessary.”
The letter said the HSE hoped the reforms undertaken “can give some small measure of comfort” to the family and that it will continue to strive to ensure the learnings are shared across the service while respecting the family’s right to privacy.
The apology letter stated that the HSE mistakenly thought a written apology sent in December 2022 had been received by the couple.
“We now know that you did not receive this apology and we are again truly sorry for this,” it said.
Earlier in court, the HSE clarified its position in relation to the case, and said it admitted a breach of duty to the deceased teenager over the failure to provide adequate mental health services, but it denied that a duty of care was owed to the parents.
Patrick Treacy SC, instructed by Cian O’Carroll solicitors, for the couple, asked the court not to be constrained by the personal injury guidelines considering “the extreme and catastrophic nature” of the circumstances of the case, and because it involved issues of public safety and concerns in relation to the provision of services by Camhs.
Counsel had earlier told the court how, in July 2021, the girl’s parents found their daughter in an upstairs bedroom of their home, where she had died by suicide.
Mr Treacy said afterwards the parents “were left in a state of utter devastation” and their shock and trauma was not possible to describe.
The “essential tragedy here”, counsel said, is that the teenager’s parents never got a diagnosis from Camhs of their daughter having a psychiatric condition.
Approving the settlement and the division of the €35,000 statutory mental distress payment, Ms Justice Denise Brett offered her condolences, and said the family had had suffered an unimaginable tragedy. She said she hoped the ending of the legal proceedings would bring them a degree of closure.
