Family of man (92) receives €165,000 over failings in his care while in hospital
THE family of a 92-year-old man who died in hospital, where he had gone for treatment after suffering a fall in his home, have received a settlement for €165,000 following a High Court action over his death.
Patrick Dillon was a fit and active man and is a huge loss to his family and community in Swords, Co Dublin, his counsel Doireann O’Mahony BL told the court.
When Mr Dillon was brought to Beaumont Hospital A&E in Dublin on July 13, 2015, after he suffered a fall at home, he had a raised white cell count and a raised CRP count, all of which, counsel said, were “indicators of infection overload”.
Counsel said Mr Dillon was later discharged home but he was in severe pain and three days later he was brought back to the hospital where “a substandard examination” took place. Mr Dillon, counsel said, was in renal failure but was transferred for rehabilitation.
At the rehabilitation stepdown facility it was discovered that Mr Dillon had pressure sores which, counsel said, “have no place in modern medicine”.
Mr Dillon was transferred back to Beaumont on July 27, 2015, and he was severely septic and in multi-organ failure. He died on July 31.
Mr Dillon was a very active man and also cared for his son who had special needs, counsel said. In court his daughter, Ann Walsh, told Mr Justice Garrett Simons: “The way daddy was treated, no old-age pensioner should be treated like that.”
She said her father had been “put to the side”.
Mr Justice Simons said Mr Dillon’s daughter had given elegant testimony about her late father and while he would not make comment, “she had spoken and it is on the record of the court”.
Beaumont Hospital had admitted a breach of duty in the case in relation to the delay in formulating an accurate diagnosis of Mr Dillon’s condition and his transfer to the rehabilitation hospital.
The court heard other matters were at issue in the case.
Ann Walsh, of Seatown Villas, Swords, Co Dublin, and her brother Gerard Dillon, of Seatown Terrace, Swords, had sued the Beaumont Hospital over the care given to their father at the hospital five years ago.
It was claimed there was a
failure to exercise the standard of care, competence, judgment, diligence and skill which it was reasonable to expect.
It was further claimed Mr Dillon was in a chair in the hospital A&E for a lengthy period of time which, it was claimed, contributed to his general deterioration.
It was also alleged a diagnosis of a spine fracture was made which was not con
firmed on a subsequent X-ray.
Outside court, the family’s solicitor, Niall Tansey, said the settlement marked the end of a long and challenging legal battle for the Dillon family.
He said Mr Dillon was a huge figure in the Swords community and in the Dillon family.
He added that the family wanted to reiterate that, regardless of the age of the patient, every patient deserves the very best of care.
The family also wanted to endorse the system changes since Mr Dillon’s death, said Mr Tansey.
Speaking outside the court, Ms Walsh said she had given a strong message to the judge in court.
She said the family was relieved this ordeal had come to an end and “that no elderly individual will hopefully have to suffer like our dad and papa did”.