Probe into death of patient
Family has campaigned over 65-year-old’s care
GARDAÍ have launched an investigation into the death of a HSE hospital patient in 2010.
An inquest into Michael Daly’s death in 2012 found that he had died of cardiac failure due to natural causes.
However, the Irish Daily Mail has learned that UL Hospitals Group chiefs have since apologised to the family after it emerged that two potentially significant documents were missing from Mr Daly’s medical records.
Now detectives are probing the circumstances leading up to the 65 year old’s death.
‘Gardaí are taking this seriously’
GARDAÍ have launched an investigation into the death of a HSE hospital patient in 2010.
An incident room has been set up by one of the force’s most senior officers and a team of senior detectives assigned to the inquiry.
In a move initiated by Superintendent Derek Smart, Limerickbased detectives are probing the circumstances leading up to 65year-old Michael Daly’s death.
Superintendent Smart has also called in State pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy to review the case. A fresh inquest into the tragedy – which had been due to open within weeks – is now expected to be adjourned because of the investigation.
Limerick City coroner John McNamara ordered a second inquest be held into Mr Daly’s death following representations by the deceased’s son Michael Jnr.
A Garda spokesperson told the Irish Daily Mail: ‘An investigation team has been established at Henry Street in Limerick to look into all aspects of this investigation. For operational reasons, it would be inappropriate to discuss any further matters at this stage.’
At the 2012 inquest into Mr Daly’s death, it was found that he had died of cardiac failure due to natural causes.
However, the Mail has learned that UL Hospitals Group chiefs have since apologised to the family after it emerged that two potentially significant documents were missing from their father’s medical records.
The group described it as an ‘oversight’. Last November, one of the group’s directors wrote to Mr Daly’s son and told him there was ‘no deliberate attempt to withhold any of your late father’s records’.
In the two years before he died on April 7, 2010, Mr Daly had to attend the Midwestern Regional Hospital suffering from pain and rectal bleeding. Sometimes, he had to be transferred to hospital in an ambulance.
Previously, in August 2007, he’d had a tumour removed from his colon at St John’s Hospital in Limerick.
He underwent a second operation in April 2008, to remove a bag that had been put in place as a matter of routine in the first procedure, to prevent the flow of faecal fluid through his bowel while it healed after surgery.
A third surgical procedure was carried out in the Midwestern Regional Hospital in March 2010.
This was to halt the bleeding and pain. Although the pain and bleeding stopped, Mr Daly’s condition continued to deteriorate.
In the two years before he died, he’d had to undergo multiple blood transfusions.
He also suffered significant weight loss over the two-year period leading up to his death, shedding almost three stone.
The existence of extra documents only emerged in October 2016 when Michael Daly Jr was sent an electronic version of his father’s health records.
Their emergence is one of the reasons why a new inquest is being opened.
At the first inquest, Coroner John McNamara said: ‘I understand the family has concerns and saw Mr Daly deteriorate and are unhappy about his care and treatment in the latter phases.’
However, at the conclusion of the inquest he decided that the ‘most appropriate verdict’ was one of natural causes, adding that he was ‘sorry if that upsets the family’.
They appealed the verdict, and after a four-year campaign by Mr Daly’s family, led by his devoted son Michael Jnr, Mr McNamara decided to open a second inquest into his death. It was due to be held shortly, but could now be adjourned.
On the latest developments, Mr Daly’s son Michael told the Mail: ‘We are delighted as a family that our concerns are being paid attention to.
‘For legal reasons, I can’t go into too much details but we are very happy that the gardaí are taking this matter seriously.
‘We are also very grateful that they have spent so much time reviewing the information that we have given them.
‘We are very impressed with the way detectives are handling this and we are also very grateful for the role the Coroner John McNamara has played in all this.’
When asked by the Mail about the Garda investigation, a UL Hospitals Group spokesperson said last night: ‘UL Hospitals Group are liaising directly with the family of the late Mr Michael Daly on all of their queries.
‘An external review into the clinical care provided to Mr Daly is currently under way and his family are fully engaged in this process.
‘As the review is ongoing, we are unable to comment further at this time.’