An inquiry has been established by the Health Service Executive into the death of a young woman while she was undergoing IVF treatment at a Dublin hospital just over three years ago, writes Eithne Donnellan, Health Correspondent
Jacqueline Rushton, of Ardleigh Park, Mullingar, Co Westmeath, died on January 14th, 2003, and since then her family have been seeking an inquiry into her death.
At an inquest in 2004, Dublin City Coroner Dr Brian Farrell found she died of adult respiratory distress syndrome arising as a complication of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome which arose during IVF treatment at the Human Assisted Reproduction Ireland (HARI) unit of Dublin's Rotunda hospital during December 2002.
He returned a verdict of medical misadventure.
The inquest heard the 32-year-old woman was transferred to the Mater hospital on December 16th, 2002, suffering from respiratory distress syndrome. She was pronounced dead after 22 days in intensive care.
Dr Farrell said severe reactions to IVF were rare and fatalities arising from it were "hardly found in the medical literature".
Her family complained to the Medical Council about the doctor treating her but it found he had no case to answer, said Jacqueline Rushton's mother, Angela Hickey from Raheny in Dublin.
She met Minister for Health Mary Harney last October to urge her to establish an inquiry.
Now the HSE has confirmed an inquiry has been set up to review the circumstances surrounding Ms Rushton's death.
It will be carried out by Prof Alison Murdoch of the Newcastle Fertility Centre, Newcastle Upon Tyne, and Stuart Emslie, an independent healthcare consultant.
The HSE, in a statement, said the review will cover the period from Ms Rushton's first consultation at the Rotunda on March 28th, 2002, to the time of her death at the Mater hospital.
"The review team will focus on the clinical management of Jacqueline Rushton and also examine to what extent non-clinical factors may have influenced the care she received," it said.
"The review team will examine protocols and procedures relevant to Jacqueline Rushton's care and inquire into their application in this case, taking into account prevailing standards of best practice. The team will also examine all documents generated by any review of the case in the HARI unit, Rotunda hospital or Mater hospital," it added.
The team may access any additional external specialist expertise which it deems necessary before reporting back to the HSE.
"We are delighted there is an inquiry," Ms Hickey said.