Cancer patient took his own life in HSE ‘protest’

Inquest hears ill pensioner faked chest pains to get vital MRI scan

A PENSIONER who was dying of cancer took his own life in University Hospital Limerick as a protest against the HSE’s slow movement on his case, an inquest has heard.

Jack Liston, 67, shot himself in the heart in the hospital chapel after texting: ‘I Love You XXX’ to his partner.

She told the inquest that they had called the hospital every day looking for an MRI scan after a specialist in the Mater hospital in Dublin said that it needed an MRI scan before it could operate on Jack’s colon cancer.

The Mater request for an MRI was in November 2016 and Jack took his own life in January 2017 in the same week he had an appointment in UHL for the scan.

Mr Liston’s partner, Mary Manton, told the coroner’s court that ‘he wanted to make a point to the HSE: You did this to him’.

Coroner John McNamara said he ‘could sense the frustration felt by the family with the health system’. He also said he was struck by the evidence provided by Ms Manton.

Mr McNamara returned ‘an appropriate verdict’ of suicide but said that he will be writing to UHL to recommend the prioritising of MRI scans for those patients who are involved in screening programmes whose test showed ‘worrying’ results.

Mr Liston had been suffering from colon cancer which had ‘deteriorated quickly’, according to Ms Manton. He was due to attend an appointment on the day of his death, according to the Limerick Leader.

Garda Timothy Walsh told the inquest that at approximately 2.35pm on January 18, 2017, gardaí were called to reports of a sudden death in the chapel of UHL, where they discovered Mr Liston and a small handgun.

The inquest heard that he underwent a colonoscopy in 2016, followed by a biopsy – at which Desperate: Jack Liston was in urgent need of a scan point cancerous tumours were found. He was warned that the cancer was spreading to his liver.

Following a consultation with a surgeon in the Mater in late November 2016, Mr Liston was told that his cancer could be operated on but an MRI was required before the procedure could be performed.

He was waiting for an MRI in Limerick but they were overbooked and an appointment wasn’t available until January 17.

He urgently needed an MRI before then and got one in Dublin on January 10, after faking chest pains, Ms Manton told the inquest.

After reviewing the MRI results, the surgeon in the Mater informed Mr Liston that ‘an operation wasn’t an option any longer, the cancer had spread into his liver’.

Solicitor for Mr Liston’s family, Turlough Herbert told the inquest that Mr Liston’s condition was known to be a ‘significant risk’ in November of that year.

Ms Manton also told the inquest the surgeon expressed concerns over the delay in the scan and wanted it to be brought forward.

She also told the inquest that, as far as she knew, the MRI in UHL did not operate past 4.30pm and, according to Mr Herbert, it did not operate on weekends. He received an MRI the next day.

‘He was dying from the pain. He was literally at the end of his tether,’ said Ms Manton.

‘He was in so much pain and had so many knock-backs in the weeks leading up to his death,’ Ms Manton told the inquest.

In response to the inquest, UL Hospitals Group said, ‘On receipt of the Coroner’s findings, considerations will be given to any recommendations.’

‘He wanted to make a point to the HSE’ ‘He was at the end of his tether’