Hospital apologises to man who had to have leg amputated after angiogram

A hospital has apologised in court for the quality of care given to a man who went in for an angiogram but later had to have his right leg amputated.

The unreserved apology contained in a letter from Letterkenny University Hospital, Donegal was read to the High Court today as 77-year-old Hugh McElroy settled his action against the HSE.

In the letter read by HSE counsel Hugh Mohan SC, the hospital apologised unreservedly for the quality of care which Mr McElroy received around the time of his angiogram in late 2014, which it said: "fell below an acceptable standard."

"While we at Letterkenny University Hospital strive to deliver a service of the highest quality, I acknowledge and recognise that the care afforded to you at our hospital in 2014/2015 was not to a standard which we would have hoped or expected," the letter from General Manager Sean Murphy said.

It added "I wish to apologise unreservedly for the quality of care which you received which fell below an acceptable standard. I also acknowledge the devastating impact this has had on your life."

It further added that it was recognised that nothing any of the hospital team can say could in any way make up for the impact on Mr McElroy's quality of life and that of his family.

Retired construction worker Hugh McElroy of Meenagowna, Burtonport, Co. Donegal, had sued the HSE over the care he received at Letterkenny University Hospital, Donegal, where he went for an angiogram - a procedure where a tube is inserted into the groin and threaded up to the heart to check the blood vessels - in September 2014.

He was transferred to another hospital to have a stent inserted but two weeks later he attended with a GP complaining of swollen ankles and was prescribed antibiotics. In the first week of October 2014, Mr McElroy developed groin hematoma in or around the site where the angiogram had been inserted and was in severe pain when readmitted to Letterkenny Hospital.

During a period in which he was transferred to another hospital Mr McElroy, it was claimed, required treatment for multiple infections as well as multiple surgeries and his right leg was amputated on September 29, 2015.

It was claimed there was a failure to provide an acceptable standard of care to Mr McElroy and his condition was allowed to deteriorate while an inpatient at Letterkenny Hospital.

The details of the settlement are confidential.