The Health Service Executive (HSE) has unreservedly apologised before the High Court to the family of a 21-year-old woman who hanged herself in Limerick Regional Hospital just hours after she was admitted there in a suicidal state and recorded as such.
The standard of care given to Anne O'Rahilly fell below acceptable standards, the HSE said.
The apology, and payment of a six-figure sum, are part of the terms of settlement of an action brought by Ms O'Rahilly's family against the HSE. It was claimed the Limerick hospital was warned by St Patrick's psychiatric hospital in Dublin there was a high risk she would take her own life.
Ms O'Rahilly, Abbeyview, Adare, Co Limerick, was recorded as being suicidal when admitted to the Limerick hospital on the morning of September 20th, 2002. That same afternoon, it was claimed she gained unsupervised access to a bathroom in the acute psychiatric unit of the hospital, locked the door, tied the cord of a dressing gown to the shower rail and hanged herself.
Ms O'Rahilly's family, including her father James, mother Martha and brother Aidan had sued the HSE, formerly the Mid-Western Health Board, for damages arising from the service provided to her.
The HSE was sued in its capacity as the body responsible for managing and operating Limerick Regional Hospital, Dooradoyle, Co Limerick.
The case was listed before the High Court yesterday and Ms Justice Elizabeth Dunne was told it was settled. In a statement after the settlement, the family expressed relief the "protracted case" had been resolved.
"It has taken nearly four years for the HSE to admit the standard of care received by Anne fell below acceptable standards and an apology has now been furnished by the HSE admitting that fact," the family said. They hoped that recommendations contained in the report commissioned by the HSE into the care and treatment of Anne would be brought into the public domain and implemented to prevent a "similar needless tragedy" occurring.
In their proceedings, the family claimed that, on July 17th, 2002, Anne had attended Limerick Regional Hospital on the basis of having taken an overdose of lawful medicines. She was re-admitted to hospital on August 5th, 2002, after she had attempted to hang herself. On admission, it was claimed she was recorded as having ideas of suicide. On September 13th, 2002, she was admitted to St Patrick's Hospital, James's Street, Dublin, having been referred by a GP whose referral letter recorded a two-year history of depressive illness and attempted suicide.
Ms O'Rahilly was diagnosed in St Patrick's as suffering from lowered mood and suicidal ideation. Six days later, she was transferred into her parents' custody and to the Limerick hospital. It was claimed that, in advance of the transfer, a senior medical staff member at St Patrick's Hospital informed the Limerick hospital of the high risk that Ms O'Rahilly would take her own life and arrangements were made for her in the acute psychiatric unit at the Limerick hospital.
Ms O'Rahilly's death, it was claimed, occurred by reason of the negligence and breach of duty on the part of the defendant in its care, treatment, management and control of Ms O'Rahilly.