Mayo University Hospital make High Court apology to family of Ballina woman

The management of Mayo University Hospital apologised to the family of a 72-year-old Ballina woman who died eleven days after being admitted to the hospital.

The family of Ann Moyles from Castlehill in Ballina who died on December 30, 2017 described the healthcare system as a 'shambles and a disgrace' after the hospital apologised to them in the High Court.

An apology on behalf of Mayo University Hospital (MUH) was read out in court as part of a settlement of the family's action for damages against the HSE for negligence and breach of duty.

Ms Moyles had been admitted to MUH on December 19, suffering from shortness of breath and weakness and died eleven days later. Lawyers for her family said it was their case that the way she was treated led directly to the death of the mother of seven.

The High Court was told that he and the family were particularly upset that she spent 20 hours on a trolley in the emergency department due to a shortage of beds. Ms Moyles was suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and was intubated the day after she was admitted.

Senior Counsel Gerard Clarke said their expert would say she was extubated on December 23 but should have been reintubated due to her condition.

In a statement, the family said that her son Anthony arrived in the hospital the next day to find her still on a trolley, in a shared cubicle, gasping for breath.

He was told there was no doctor available and that care only seemed to kick into place when he insisted a doctor be found.

In a statement after the case, the family said their mother never came home that Christmas due to circumstances for which they have never received answers.

They said they wanted to shine a light on the disgrace that the Mayo hospital and hospitals around the country were in. They said it was not acceptable to be unable to get a doctor or a bed in A&E or to be ignored while on a trolley gasping for air. They said the sad part was that it was 'all too common'. This case has been going on for six years, they said, and 'nothing is changing'.

Catherine Donohue, manager of MUH said they offered sincere and heartfelt apologies to the family for failings in care. She said she appreciated this would not change the outcome for their mother and they were deeply sorry.