THE DUBLIN City coroner is to consider calling expert witnesses as part of an inquest into the death of a Dublin mother of three who collapsed and died while waiting for a bed in the accident and emergency department of the Mater hospital.
Beverley Seville-Doyle (39), of Whitehall Road, Dublin 12, left her chair in AE shortly after 6am on January 15th, 2008, to use the toilet.
Moments later Ms Seville Doyle, who had long-standing type-one diabetes, collapsed and, despite intensive resuscitation attempts, was pronounced dead at about 7.30am.
Pathologist Dr Michelle Harrison told an inquest in December 2008 that Ms Seville-Doyle had suffered sudden cardiac death secondary to enlargement of the heart muscle tissue in a patient with diabetes and high blood pressure.
Yesterday Dublin City Coroner’s Court heard that an expert consultant histopathologist at the Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospital, London, Dr Mary Sheppard, who was consulted for an opinion by the Seville-Doyle family, disagrees that Ms Seville-Doyle had left-ventricular hypertrophy (thickening of the muscle of the left ventricle), and found no evidence of hypertensive heart disease.
The family, through their solicitor Damien Tansey, also consulted a forensic pathologist of eminence at the University of Leicester, Prof GN Rutty.
Coroner Dr Brian Farrell and legal representatives were given their reports yesterday.
Mr Tansey told the inquest the situation was unsatisfactory and that the family would prefer to be able to call Prof Rutty and Dr Sheppard to give evidence.
Dr Farrell said the Supreme Court had ruled that a coroner was not allowed to call an expert witness, but that the Coroner’s Amendment Act, 2005, (which removes the restriction on the number of medical witnesses who may be summoned to give evidence at an inquest) may have effected a change, in that it may be extended to include any medical practitioner.
“It has been . . . in another inquest that the 2005 amendment may permit a coroner to call his own expert witness to give evidence, but it’s moot,” he said.
“Coroners find themselves in this position under the law.
“It’s not satisfactory and it’s not in the public interest, but that’s the position we find ourselves in until the new Act comes into force.”
Consultant histopathologist at the Mater, Dr Aurelie Fabre, yesterday agreed with Dr Harrison’s findings.
The coroner adjourned the inquest until a date to be decided and told Mr Tansey he would need to think about the matter of independent witnesses.