Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Shutterstock/24Novembers

Mullingar hospital apologises to new mother after a 'series of errors'

After suffering from bleeding and ongoing pain, the woman was not contacted by the hospital and eventually had to go to A&E.

A NEW MOTHER’S complaint about a series of failures at a hospital has been resolved after submitting a complaint to the Office of the Ombudsman.

The woman who had recently given birth was bleeding and suffering ongoing pain when she went for an ultrasound scan at the Midland Regional Hospital Mullingar.

But after the scan, she was not contacted by the hospital and she subsequently had to attend the Emergency Department.

She underwent a procedure to remove some tissue from her uterus, and it was discovered that she had developed an infection.

During her readmission to hospital the woman was never informed that she could keep her new baby with her.

The woman never received a six week follow-up appointment, and a discharge summary was never sent to her GP.

Eventually the woman received an apology from the hospital consultant but felt the full extent of her complaint had not been understood by the hospital.

When the case was brought to the attention of the Ombudsman Peter Tyndall, his examination showed that:

  • The discharge summary was dictated but was not sent with a medical chart for typing. If the discharge summary had been typed, an appointment for a six week check would have been triggered.
  • The ultrasound scan results had been sent to a junior doctor who was no longer involved in the woman’s care
  • A copy of the report was issued to the consultant, but he did not receive it until much later
  • Three letters sent by the woman’s GP to the hospital never received a reply.

Reform

The Ombudsman’s examination sparked a number of improvements in the hospital:

  • the process for issuing discharge letters and follow-up appointments has become more streamlined and they are now prepared on the ward
  • a ‘Birth Afterthoughts’ Service has started where a new mother can meet with a senior midwife and discuss any issues of concern
  • the processes around the digital radiology system, which was new at the time, have improved.

The hospital has since sent the discharge summary to the GP and apologised to the woman for the upset and distress caused.

In a statement, the hospital said:

“While we cannot comment on individual cases, the staff and management at Regional Hospital Mullingar take the treatment and care of our patients very seriously.

“We encourage all patients who have a concern or a complaint about their care or the care of a family member to follow our complaints process and where a full investigation can be properly undertaken.”

Annual report

The incident was included as a case study in the Office of the Ombudsman’s annual report for 2016, which was launched yesterday.

The Ombudsman deals with complaints from people who feel they have been unfairly treated by certain public bodies – for example, government departments, local authorities and publicly funded third-level education institutions.

This is one of 3,067 complaints the Ombudsman Peter Tyndall received last year.

- With reporting from Cormac Fitzgerald. 

You can read the full report on the Ombudsman’s website here.

Read: Department of Social Protection pursued a woman for €20,000, but she was actually owed €700

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

Close
14 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Marbles
    Favourite Marbles
    Report
    Oct 31st 2019, 2:13 PM

    I can’t believe the news today.

    567
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Roy Donovan
    Favourite Roy Donovan
    Report
    Oct 31st 2019, 2:30 PM

    @Marbles: it was a beautiful day up until this..

    63
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Marbles
    Favourite Marbles
    Report
    Oct 31st 2019, 2:32 PM

    @Roy Donovan: Walk on.

    75
    See 5 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Manbackonboard
    Favourite Manbackonboard
    Report
    Oct 31st 2019, 3:03 PM

    @Marbles: How long must we sing this song?

    56
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Thomas Maher
    Favourite Thomas Maher
    Report
    Oct 31st 2019, 3:19 PM

    @Marbles: all these puns are giving me vertigo

    43
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Brian Flavin
    Favourite Brian Flavin
    Report
    Oct 31st 2019, 4:13 PM

    @Marbles: McDonald’s disrespect

    8
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Frank Martin
    Favourite Frank Martin
    Report
    Oct 31st 2019, 4:44 PM

    @Thomas Maher: Indeed, there are some very punny people on here

    8
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Declan McArdle
    Favourite Declan McArdle
    Report
    Oct 31st 2019, 10:46 PM

    @Marbles: … Elevation

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Greg Ward
    Favourite Greg Ward
    Report
    Oct 31st 2019, 2:09 PM

    FFS – Cop on.

    147
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Colin Mcgahon
    Favourite Colin Mcgahon
    Report
    Oct 31st 2019, 3:03 PM

    Missing the big picture here why has Portugal still got sundaes and Ireland doesn’t

    134
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute filthypete
    Favourite filthypete
    Report
    Oct 31st 2019, 6:33 PM

    @Colin Mcgahon: coz it’s a lot hotter?

    4
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dave Hammond
    Favourite Dave Hammond
    Report
    Oct 31st 2019, 3:41 PM

    ah would stop – it was Portugal – if they had of made this mistake in Ireland itself I would see your point and faux outrage but FFS. Google Sundae ? How would that have worked , people getting knickers in a twist over nothing these days.

    89
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Declan Snow
    Favourite Declan Snow
    Report
    Oct 31st 2019, 2:27 PM

    I just wish they’d bring the sundae back to Ireland

    79
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Steph
    Favourite Steph
    Report
    Oct 31st 2019, 2:47 PM

    @Declan Snow: Bring back hot fudge sundaes

    77
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Seán Corcoran BSc (Hons)
    Favourite Seán Corcoran BSc (Hons)
    Report
    Oct 31st 2019, 2:22 PM

    Period Sundays. Nice.

    65
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jack Johnson
    Favourite Jack Johnson
    Report
    Oct 31st 2019, 3:28 PM

    You wake up in the morning, you’ve got to read all the Sunday papers, the kids are running round, you’ve got to mow the lawn, wash the car, and you think “Sunday, bloody Sunday!”

    69
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute The next small thing
    Favourite The next small thing
    Report
    Oct 31st 2019, 3:45 PM

    @Jack Johnson: good man Alan, have a thumbs up

    19
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Marcus Massey
    Favourite Marcus Massey
    Report
    Oct 31st 2019, 8:48 PM

    @Jack Johnson: Really encapsulates the frustration of a Sunday

    10
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute ReallyBadHusband
    Favourite ReallyBadHusband
    Report
    Oct 31st 2019, 2:45 PM

    I Can’t close my eyes and make this go away

    37
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute My Name is?
    Favourite My Name is?
    Report
    Oct 31st 2019, 3:50 PM

    It only a jasus ice cream

    30
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute John Euro Cooke
    Favourite John Euro Cooke
    Report
    Oct 31st 2019, 2:21 PM

    Portugal lol

    24
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Craic_a_tower
    Favourite Craic_a_tower
    Report
    Oct 31st 2019, 3:20 PM

    They couldn’t just googled the expression before using it? There is tone deaf and willful ignorance. We don’t own the expression but there isn’t anything funny about any of the uses through history

    23
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dave Hammond
    Favourite Dave Hammond
    Report
    Oct 31st 2019, 4:23 PM

    @Craic_a_tower: So you think the Portuguese people should have Googled the terms with ‘Sundae’ in advance to find out if it was offensive…… and that it was beyond tone deaf….. willful ignorance ? when even the Lord himself has spent the past 33+ years preaching to us that Sunday Bloody Sunday was not in fact a rebel song ….nonsense..

    26
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Lorcan OReilly
    Favourite Lorcan OReilly
    Report
    Oct 31st 2019, 6:43 PM

    @Dave Hammond: more so a multinational that spends millions on advertising. Look it was a mistake they apologized but they should be doing their research. Do you know how many people have to sign off on ad campaigns it wasnt just one guy. The apology and removal is an appropriate response.

    9
    See 2 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Mike
    Favourite Mike
    Report
    Oct 31st 2019, 7:25 PM

    @Craic_a_tower: I’d say you’re no craic at all. Get over yourself. Some joke getting offended by this.

    4
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dave Hammond
    Favourite Dave Hammond
    Report
    Oct 31st 2019, 7:26 PM

    @Lorcan OReilly: yep I do ( happend to have worked in Ad industry for years ) but in my opinion this is just complete nonsense…restaurants in the states sell St Valentines Day Massacres and nobody gets outraged and upset ….it’s just more PC / Faux outrage BS – they apologised in case they offended anyone , nobody has managed to find someone who was actually offended …it;s nonsense.

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Matt Connolly
    Favourite Matt Connolly
    Report
    Oct 31st 2019, 3:26 PM

    There’s more to Ireland den dis.

    https://youtu.be/6RTJ4vHoYUs

    9
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Clancy
    Favourite Clancy
    Report
    Oct 31st 2019, 4:09 PM

    Streisand effect. You get more bang for your buck by being banned. More column inches by causing offence. If you can’t be great be offensive, mediocre gains no cut through.

    13
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Rob Hunt
    Favourite Rob Hunt
    Report
    Oct 31st 2019, 2:22 PM

    It’s always a small number of stores isn’t it?

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul Quirke
    Favourite Paul Quirke
    Report
    Oct 31st 2019, 6:50 PM

    Fatima from morketing got it slightly wrong :)

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Martin O Reilly
    Favourite Martin O Reilly
    Report
    Oct 31st 2019, 5:05 PM

    Utter bullshite.

    8
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Kevin Coyle
    Favourite Kevin Coyle
    Report
    Oct 31st 2019, 5:32 PM

    Bono will have them in court for this

    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Squiddley Diddley
    Favourite Squiddley Diddley
    Report
    Oct 31st 2019, 8:03 PM

    @Kevin Coyle: Nah, he took the name from a film.

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Sarah Clifford
    Favourite Sarah Clifford
    Report
    Nov 1st 2019, 7:22 AM

    Great advertising for maccys thou

    1
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.