Met by a ‘veil of silence’ from medical profession

THE family of Jacqueline Rushton yesterday revealed they had met a “veil of silence” in the medical profession trying to find answers to her death.

The young woman’s parents said an independent inquiry proved if “appropriate medical procedures” had been followed, their daughter would be alive today.

Angela Hickey said only now were questions being answered about why her daughter Jacqueline had died after IVF treatment.

“The report is a clear indictment of the standard of medical care received by Jacqui at the Rotunda Hospital.”

No consultant was specifically responsible for Ms Rushton when she was in care, the family claimed.

The Hickey family previously secured a Medical Council inquiry into Jacqueline Rushton’s case. The council ruled there was no case to answer. This finding now needed to be reexamined in light of the independent report, the family stated yesterday.

“Jacqui suffered needlessly, struggling to breathe each breath, as the fluid from her abdomen pushed up into her lungs”.

“She was really terrified because she couldn’t breathe and she was swelling, the fluid was increasing all over her body.

“We hope that the recommendations contained in this review will be implemented and that no other woman or family will suffer as we have,” a statement added.

Ms Rushton’s family said because of the 32-year-old’s condition, the procedure to remove her eggs after their growth had been stimulated, should have stopped.

“It was known to the clinicians that she was at a high risk of getting OHSS [Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome]. We feel that the risk was too high to warrant going ahead with the procedure.”

OHSS, in a severe form, led to Ms Rushton gaining two stone, mainly due to fluids swelling up her body.

However, the Hickey family have now dropped a legal action against the Rotunda Hospital, it also emerged.

“It was never about compensation. It was purely about getting the truth and we’ve got the truth from this,” revealed Jacqueline’s sister Colette.

The Irish Patients’ Association launched the report in Dublin with the family yesterday. Its chairman Stephen McMahon described afterwards how Jacqueline’s relatives and husband Danny had experienced a long and difficult journey trying to find out facts surrounding her untimely death.

“Why is it, the ultimate price for a patient to lose their life or to be seriously injured, is the price to improve the quality of care in our health system,” said Mr McMahon.