Tipperary Hospital Apologise For Care Breach Leading To Mother & Baby Death.

Tipperary University Hospital apologises for lack of care which led to death of mother and baby

South Tipperary University Hospital, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary has apologised to the family of a young mother for their shortcomings in care, which led to her death and that of her unborn baby.

Ms Caroline Kavanagh was 22 weeks pregnant with her second child, a baby boy, when she first presented at South Tipperary University Hospital’s, Clonmel, emergency department complaining of chest pain.

Acting counsel for the family, Dr John O’Mahony SC, instructed by solicitor Mr Ciaran O’Keeffe, informed the High Court that the pregnant 37-year old woman was misdiagnosed and her heart symptoms were not identified or indeed addressed, before she had been discharged to her Kilmallock, Co Limerick, place of residence. The young mother was found, five days later, unresponsive by her mother, and sadly later was pronounced dead. The male baby she was carrying at the time sadly also died with his mother.

In an effort to obtain justice, this case had resulted in a 10-year long battle by the family, in the High Court; taken against the HSE over her death, which had occurred on February 11th, 2015.

Interim hospital manager, Ms Ailish Delaney, expressed the establishments profound sympathy and condolences, to Mrs Kavanagh Snr, on the loss of her daughter Caroline and her unborn child.

With a breach of duty admitted by the HSE a statement was read: “The management and staff of the hospital apologise sincerely for the shortcomings in the care which was provided to Caroline and which led to her tragic death. The hospital wishes to acknowledge the heartache and distress suffered by her family because of her premature passing and to express our sincere sympathy and regret.”

During the proceedings, it was claimed that the correct diagnosis of acute heart attack was not made and Ms Kavanagh was not offered appropriate cardiac care when she attended the hospital on February 6th, 2015, resulting in her ultimately death from a heart attack on February 11th, 2015.

It was claimed substandard care had been provided to Ms Kavanagh in failing to provide an echocardiogram. She had been started on cardioprotective medication on her admission to hospital, however same was halted on her discharge.

Presiding Judge, Mr Justice Paul Coffey, extended his deepest sympathy to the extended Kavanagh family.