The inquest into the death of a nine-year-old girl who died after being released from Cavan General Hospital is to go ahead after the Director of Public Prosecution decided to take no action.
Frances Sheridan, from Cootehill in Cavan, was sent home on January 30th last year by doctors who believed she had a stomach bug.
She died 36 hours later as a result of a trapped bowel. Gardai sent a file on the case to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) but he has decided to take no action.
Solicitor Patricia O'Reilly, who represents the Sheridan family, confirmed they had been informed by the Gardai of the DPP's decision not to prosecute anyone for her death.
"The family really don't have any comment to make. The inquest is coming up shortly and we are waiting for that," she said.
The inquest, which had been adjourned several times due to the Garda investigation, is now expected to be held in Cavan town on December 1st. The former North Eastern Health Board set up an inquiry into the case and its report, which was published last year, found there was failure to administer and manage the girl's care properly.
Frances Sheridan was admitted to the A&E department of the hospital for an appendix operation in January.
The report said that when she returned three weeks later complaining of stomach pains, staff at the hospital had been unable to locate the girl's medical records, which were still passing through the hospital secretarial system.
After being examined and X-rayed by a non-consultant hospital doctor, who was supported by a second opinion, Frances was told she did not seem to have any serious abdominal disorder.
She was given a suppository and discharged from the A&E - but her GP, who had suggested in his referring note that she had a twisting of the gut, was not told of the decision.
According to the report, Frances vomited outside the A&E after she was discharged. She became sick again at home and collapsed two days later. She was brought by ambulance to Cavan General Hospital on February 1st but was declared dead on arrival.
The review found there were inadequacies in the systems in the hospital, an absence of guidelines, a need for enhanced nursing and clerical staffing and a need for some structural changes in the A&E department.
Frances's parents, Brian and Rosemary, said at the time they were devastated to learn their daughter's death could have been avoided. The DPP does not release the reasons for his decision in individual cases.
PA