Charges over hospital deaths ‘may still follow’

GARDAÍ have not yet ruled out the possibility of criminal charges in their investigation into the deaths of two patients at Naas General Hospital.

And they insist they may still have to carry out an exhumation of the remains of a second person if tests carried out on the remains of the first man exhumed almost two months ago point to anything suspicious.

A Garda spokesman yesterday said detectives were still waiting for the results of toxicology tests carried out on the body of 77-year-old John Gethings from Baltinglass, Co Wicklow.

He said a report in a newspaper yesterday that stated nothing untoward had shown up in the tests was incorrect as it was too early to reach conclusions. The report was premature in stating a second exhumation would not take place.

Mr Gethings's body was exhumed from Baltinglass Cemetery on July 25 last after concerns were expressed to the Kildare County Coroner about his sudden death while being treated for heart and respiratory problems at Naas General Hospital some weeks before. Coroner Dr Denis Cusack was also informed about a second sudden death of an unnamed male patient aged in his fifties, which had also caused concern at the hospital.

Dr Cusack believed there were reasons to suspect the deaths may have occurred in what he termed an "unnatural manner" and called in the State pathologist and gardaí.

An agency nurse who had been working at the hospital for the previous six months was suspended while three separate inquiries were launched.

Blood samples were taken from Mr Gethings to check for possible overdoses of tranquillisers and other drugs. The garda spokesman said yesterday the results of these tests were not expected for another few weeks.

The South-West Area Health Board meanwhile said an audit of the files of 500 patients who were treated at the hospital while the suspended nurse was on duty was also expected to be completed in the next few weeks.

The audit is being carried out by two consultant geriatricians, one retired and one practicing, and their findings will form part of the overall health board inquiry headed by healthcare consultant Liam Dunbar, the former chief executive of St James's Hospital in Dublin.