Friend in tribute tobraveRachel whobattledto have voice heard
THE family and friends of a late Antrim woman whose heartfelt posthumous letter highlighted the failings of her local health service have expressed their gratitude at her voice finally being heard.
Rachel McAlpine was just 26 when she died earlier this month after a lengthy battle with a debilitating illness, the seriousness of which, she claimed, was not appreciated by the Northern Health and Social Care Trust.
The severely disabled former healthcare worker penned letters to the Trust, private company Trackars Healthcare and this newspaper while on her deathbed, to be delivered after she passed away.
Her best friend, Carolann Maguire, told the Belfast Telegraph that although it took Rachel’s death before her complaint was listened to, she would have been ecstatic that her plight had finally been taken notice of.
“Through no fault of her own Rachel became an advocate for what was right in terms of safe care and a quality of life,” Carolann, also 26, said.
“She did extensive research and she spent hours and hours, days, weeks and months composing emails in her defence. This was not an easy task in her condition.”
Carolann added: “Rachel will be smiling from Heaven but will also be giving instructions for this to be carried forward and for changes to be made to the care system so that the fear and anxiety that she experienced will not happen to anyone else in the same position.”
Rachel, who fell ill when she was 19-years-old, passed away on November 5. She suffered from an undiagnosed progressive physical condition which left her in a wheelchair.
She also had a tracheotomy (artificial airway) fitted and required round-the-clock specialist care in her specially-adapted Antrim home.
But she claimed her condition deteriorated significantly after the Northern Trust outsourced her care to a private company, Trackars Healthcare, which she said failed to fully appreciate the level of care she required.
Last night, Carolann said Rachel “battled with her complex needs on a daily basis but with such courage and inner strength”, and described her as “an inspiration to her family and friends”.
“Her illness didn’t get her down, it was the fight for a safe quality of life that broke her and
Plea: Rachel McAlpine
when she knew her time was limited she wanted to carry on for others in the same position,” she said. “Rachel believed that what we do in life echoes in eternity and wanted us all to keep her alive in memory. Rachel will be thought of constantly and we will continue her legacy.
“Rachel McAlpine will always be remembered for her incredible strength and courage amongst many other things.”
Sinn Fein MLA Declan Kearney, who wrote to the Northern Trust in February requesting “an urgent exceptional intervention” for Rachel, said he would write again to the authorities.
“There has been no acknowledgement either that the system failed Rachel or that the systemic and fundamental learning which must be taken from her tragic case will be absorbed by both agencies,” he said. “There is a wider question to the Trust with respect to the privatisation and the outsourcing of services in the case of patients like Rachel, presenting with life-limiting conditions and hugely complex needs.
“I will be asking what measures the Trust intends to put in place if, in fact, it is amenable to learning from this tragic case, to ensure that no other patient endures what Rachel experienced.
“It is time for the Trust to reconsider its approach to the privatisation and outsourcing of these type of services.”
Mr Kearney reiterated his previous assertion that this must never happen again and he stressed that, going forward, “noone must ever again suffer like Rachel McAlpine”.
“This brave young woman suffered deeply and greatly and she eventually lost her life in these circumstances, when the quality and standard of care should have been better,” he continued.
“But even in her dying breath she had the courage of her convictions and the determination to say that it’s important to stand up for what is fair and what is right — and at last her voice has been heard.”
The Northern Trust said: “The delivery of complex nursing care to clients in their own home can be challenging due to the specialist care required. The trust strives to deliver the highest level of care to service users through effective working relationships with our partners in the independent sector.”
Trackars Healthcare said: “The healthcare team respects the heartfelt views expressed in the series of letters which have been circulated. However, it is not appropriate to comment on these or any confidential clinical matters which have been raised.”