Medical staff avoid charges after girl’s death

MEDICAL staff will be spared criminal charges over the death of a schoolgirl sent home from hospital with a “tummy bug” when she was suffering serious complications following surgery.

Cavan Garda Station confirmed last night that a decision had been received from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) that no charges would be laid against any of the individuals involved in the child’s treatment.

The decision came a year and 10 months after the death of nine-year-old Frances Sheridan from Cootehill, Co Cavan, who was brought by her parents to Cavan General Hospital at the end of January 2004 after she complained of stomach pains. The fourth class pupil had undergone surgery to have her appendix removed at the same hospital three weeks earlier and her family GP wrote a letter for hospital staff detailing his suspicion that scar tissue was obstructing her intestines.

She was seen by a junior doctor in accident and emergency and another junior doctor was also consulted, but her medical files could not be found, the GPs letter was not passed on to the second doctor and the surgical team was not contacted.

Frances was sent home but deteriorated suddenly a day later and died before an ambulance arrived. A post mortem examination found her GP’s diagnosis was correct and she had suffered an obstructed bowel. An inquiry ordered by the North Eastern Health Board concluded there was a “failure to adequately assess and manage” Frances at the hospital and a separate garda investigation began.

Frances was one of six children of Brian and Rosemary Sheridan who have to face their daughter’s inquest next month. Her father was reluctant to speak about the development last night.