A verdict of medical misadventure has been returned at the inquest of a 57-year-old Mayo woman who died three years ago following “failings in her care” at Mayo University Hospital (MUH).
Carmel Grant died at University Hospital Galway (UHG) on February 13th, 2022, after suffering multi-organ failure and sepsis.
Galway coroner’s court was told she was admitted to Mayo University Hospital on January 4th, 2022, with a perforated colon.
After initially being treated with antibiotics, Ms Grant underwent surgery from which she never regained consciousness, the inquest heard.
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Ms Grant, who lived at Gurrane, Ballyhaunis, was transferred to UHG and was placed on kidney dialysis before passing away.
Dr Ciarán MacLoughlin, coroner for Galway west, returned a verdict of medical misadventure.
A letter of apology signed by MUH manager, Catherine Donohue, and addressed to Ms Grant’s daughter, was read at the start of the inquest.
In it, the hospital accepts failings in Ms Grant’s care caused her death.
The letter stated: “The hospital accepts that there were failings in the care provided to Carmel that caused her untimely death.
“We deeply regret the impact of these failings, and we sincerely apologise for the upset and grief caused to you and you family.
“We also acknowledge the poor communication with you personally by the hospital during your mother’s admission and we apologise for the distress that this would have caused you.”
In her deposition, Carmel Grant’s daughter, Aishling Mullahy, said she was “tortured” thinking about her mother at MUH.
Ms Mullahy told the inquest that on January 4th, 2022, her mother rang her “screaming in pain” and she was taken to hospital.
Ms Mullahy said she visited her mother in hospital that evening and she was “distressed”.
Ms Mullahy said she tried to ask nurses about her mother’s care, treatment and the possibility of a CAT scan.
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“I was brushed off and told that the doctors know best,” she said.
She said it was clear the antibiotics were not working, but when she asked to speak to the doctor she was told she could not.
Ms Mullahy said it was a shock to her to be subsequently told that her mother would have surgery as it was clear to her she had been extremely ill since being admitted to hospital.
“Unfortunately my mother never regained consciousness after surgery and suffered multiple organ failure and was put on kidney support, heart support and a ventilator. I was allowed in to see her and it was extremely shocking.”
Ms Mullahy said she felt there had been “no sense of urgency” on the part of the medical team with regards to her mother’s care.
“I was very upset and confused and felt she needed more help and better care,” she added.
Ms Mullahy said she is still “devastated” by the death of her mother.
The inquest heard Ms Grant’s past medical history included a smoking issue of 20 cigarettes a day for 30 years and she also had history of depression.
The inquest heard she was placed on a “conservative” treatment plan including courses of antibiotics and morphine.
In his closing submission, solicitor for Ms Mullahy, Damien Tansey SC said the decision to treat Ms Grant in a conservative manner was “ill-informed”, the level of infection was such that it rendered triple doses of antibiotics “ineffective” and the patient was getting “sicker and sicker” until it was too late.
Counsel for the hospital, Caoimhe Daly BL, said, unlike other cases, this case did not involve a surgical procedure that gave rise to a complication and was not a case involving a surgery where a person died post-operatively.
She continued: “Instead you are in scenario where Ms Grant presented to the hospital with a perforated colon. She presented with the condition that took hold and gave rise to her untimely death.”
Ms Daly said it was a “naturally evolving incident” that was then treated in the hospital, and what ultimately caused Ms Grant’s demise was a lung infection.
She submitted that an appropriate verdict would be a narrative verdict or natural causes.
