HSE admits that medical records were faked after baby’s death
MEDICAL records were faked after a newborn baby died, a court heart yesterday.
Key records stating what time the baby’s mother, Elizabeth Loughlin, arrived at Portlaoise hospital were changed, the Health Service Executive admitted.
‘I accept that Elizabeth’s medical records were altered in relation to the timing of her admission to the hospital on August 21, and I regret that that was done’, the HSE’s lawyer told the court.
The shocking admission came during a court hearing relating to the death of Mrs Loughlin’s daughter Ciara at the Midland General Hospital, Portlaoise in August 2007.
By changing the records to indicate Mrs Loughlin had arrived later than she did, the hospital was trying to show it had not delayed delivery of the baby, it was alleged.
Mrs Loughlin went into labour on August 21, 2007, shortly after her due date, according to legal papers before Judge Kevin Cross.
She arrived at the hospital at 10.30pm, and a trace of the baby in the womb showed Ciara had a ‘grossly abnormal heart rate’.
However, a C-section was not done until 12.30, two hours after arrival. The baby was resuscitated, and a heart beat detected after 15 minutes – but tragically she died a few minutes later.
At the time, her parents were told her death was ‘unavoidable’, the papers in the High Court stated. They were ‘absolutely devastated, shocked and extremely upset’, but tried to get on with their lives.
However, almost seven years later, in January 2014, the couple saw the Prime Time programme, Controversy At Midland General Hospital, Portlaoise, and ‘realised that similar occurrences had happened on numerous occasions to other families in the hospital, and wanted to discover what had happened to baby Ciara,’ their statement said.
They met hospital representatives on April 1 that year, where they viewed their file and medical notes for the first time since Ciara’s death. There, they learned the medical file and records had been ‘deliberately altered’ by staff, in particular, her arrival time at the hospital, they said.
It was claimed this was done to ‘impact’ their case and impede experts examining the records.
In their statement, the couple told how they suffered ‘significant and severe personal injuries, shock trauma, loss, damage and psychological upset’.
And they said ‘the death of Ciara was avoidable by the provision of a reasonable standard of care’.
Their counsel, Liam Reidy SC, told the court their action for mental distress, and a fatal injuries action brought on behalf of their baby, had been settled yesterday, with the apology from the HSE.
Conor Halpin SC, for the HSE, read: ‘On behalf of the HSE and the Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise, I would like to convey my sincere apologies to you and your family, for the failings in care provided to you at the hospital on August 21 and 22, 2007.
‘I wish to apologise for the distress suffered in respect of the death of your daughter, Ciara, and offer my deepest condolences to you.’
Mr and Mrs Loughlin, from Lough, Portarlington, Co. Laois, were in court to hear the apology.
Judge Cross approved the settlement, and expressed his sympathies to the couple, who have two other children.
It was made without any admission of liability by the HSE.
‘The death of Ciara was avoidable’