Another controversial case relating to the care of a patient who presented at Cavan General Hospital emerged yesterday.
The Irish Times understands an elderly woman transferred from her local hospital in Monaghan to Cavan Hospital for surgery last month was sent back to Monaghan Hospital because there was no bed available for her. She died three days later.
The North Eastern Health Board was not in a position to discuss this case last night.
A son of the dead woman said his mother presented at Monaghan General Hospital on January 12th with abdominal pains. The doctor who examined her believed she would need surgery but said it could not be carried out in the hospital because it was off call.
"He said his hands are tied, that he was not allowed accept cases like this through A&E," he said.
His mother was transferred by ambulance to Cavan. She was seen promptly and the doctor there said, because of her age, she was not suitable for an operation and asked why she was not accepted in Monaghan.
He allegedly told the family: "I don't know why she was sent here. Had we known she was on her way we would have sent her back. Anyway we have no bed for her."
A nurse then said if she was younger and from the locality she would be given priority. The family members were given the option of having their mother kept on a trolley in A&E in Cavan or returned to Monaghan. She returned to Monaghan by ambulance and died on January 15th.
Her son, who does not wish to be identified, said last night he accepted his mother might not have been suitable for surgery but was very concerned at the haphazard manner in which the case was handled.
"It's the fact that we were turned away from one hospital, sent to another and when told locals would get priority, that really put the tin hat on it. When she returned to Monaghan she received all the care she needed," he said.
"We also felt she was just dismissed because of her age."
This latest case follows other complaints from families about the way they were treated at Cavan hospital.
Some 14 adverse incidents which occurred at the hospital since last summer, including a number of surgical incidents, are now being investigated by the NEHB. They include concerns about the deaths of a small number of patients.
There has been concern over services being provided at Cavan hospital since the suspension of two of its consultant surgeons six months ago over interpersonal difficulties.
Meanwhile, Frances Sheridan (9) from Cootehill, who died on Sunday three weeks after an appendix operation at the hospital, was laid to rest yesterday. She was recovering from the operation at home when last Friday she had stomach pains and was taken back to Cavan hospital.
Her parents were told she probably had a stomach bug and she was sent home.
Within 36 hours she was dead. Post-mortem results, which will determine if her death had anything to do with the operation, are still awaited. The NEHB is also investigating.
There were also reports yesterday that Cavan hospital had admitted making a mistake in sending home a 12-year-old girl in December who presented with abdominal pain.
The following day she was rushed to another hospital where she was diagnosed as having a perforated appendix. She subsequently recovered.
The health board said the case was fully investigated.
Amid ongoing concerns about the continuity of care that can be provided to patients at Cavan since the suspension of the surgeons, the health board yesterday interviewed a number of candidates for long-term locum consultant surgeon posts.
Yesterday the Monaghan Community Alliance, which has been campaigning for the restoration of services at Monaghan Hospital, called on the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, and the chief executive of the NEHB, Mr Paul Robinson, to resign.