Reilly says report on Cavan baby who died in 2012 to be ready ‘in the coming weeks’

A final report on the investigation into the circumstances of the death of a baby born at Cavan General Hospital in November 2012 will be will be submitted to the HSE "in the coming weeks", Minister for Health James Reilly has said.

Dr Reilly told the Dáil he was “conscious of the personal tragedy for the family at the centre of this sad incident and am very anxious not to intrude on its privacy. “I would like to express my sympathy to the family concerned on the sad loss of their child,” he said.

The baby, who was born at Cavan General Hospital following a Caesarean section, was subsequently transferred to Dublin neo-natal unit and died there.

The Minister told Sinn Féin health spokesman Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin that an external review was commissioned by the HSE area manager. A team from the National Maternity Hospital at Holles Street, Dublin, carried out the review of the circumstances surrounding the clinical management and care of an obstetric patient and her baby. He said the review team met the family and “has taken its views on board and these views will be included in the overall report of the team”, which, he said, would be submitted to the HSE in the coming weeks.

Mr Ó Caoláin, who also expressed his sympathy to the grieving family, said he raised the issue because "another tragic outcome has presented at Cavan General Hospital in the past fortnight". He said all expectant mothers, in particular in the catchment area of Cavan and Monaghan, were concerned to know what happened. "They want to know why these tragic outcomes occurred. They want to know that the lessons, if there are any, are learned and that the prospects of a further bad outcome are eliminated."

Mr Ó Caoláin asked why it took 18 months and more to establish the facts. He said he had discovered that the report was still in draft form and had not been signed off on. “Given the facts may well inform future practice within the hospital, would it not be essential to ensure early completion of the investigation and report and the implementation of any recommendations that may be made?” He called for the report to be published, even in redacted form.

Dr Reilly said the family’s views “will be included in the overall report of the review team”. He added that he had no issue with the report being published in redacted form.

Stressing that the recommendations of the report into the death of Savita Halappanavar were being implemented across the service, he said they were putting in a system that “protects patients from human error, because human error will always occur and will always be with us”.