HSE report into death of care patient still not complete after seven months

THE Health Service Executive (HSE) has still not completed its investigation into the circumstances behind a 65-year-old woman’s death, almost seven months after she died from asphyxiation while strapped to a chair in a care home.

This is despite the fact that, in that time, a garda investigation into the incident has been completed, a file sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and — as was predicted by garda sources close to the case — that office has decided staff at the home should not be prosecuted.

Hannah Comber was a resident at Heatherside Hospital, near Buttevant, Co Cork, when she suffocated after becoming entangled in straps binding her to a special chair on June 22. Ms Comber had been at the hospital for 15 years.

It emerged in the weeks following the 65-year-old’s death that the report from the hospital given to gardaí failed to mention that she had accidentally slipped in the specialist chair while strapped in.

It was not until a post mortem took place that it was revealed she died as a result of asphyxiation from a ligature on the chair.

Gardaí completed their investigation within several weeks of her death after interviewing a number of parties, including residents and staff, who were at the hospital on the night she died.

They sent a report to the DPP in August and his office decided no prosecutions should be made.

However, the swiftness of the legal investigation has not been matched by that of the HSE.

The HSE investigation was briefly stalled when Tom O’Dwyer, the senior health manager who was leading it, had to step aside at the end of July due to a conflict of interest.

He had previously been a programme manager with overall responsibility for running Heatherside Hospital. He was replaced by Pat Gaughan, a former chief officer of the Midlands Health Board.

However, seven months after Ms Comber’s death, the HSE is still releasing the standard statement.

“Investigations of this nature are comprehensive and meticulous and, by their very nature, time consuming. However, the independent investigation team is cognisant of the need to finalise the investigation as soon as possible,” it said yesterday.