Suicidal patient wasn’t released by us, says A&E consultant

AN A&E consultant said the patient discharged from the Mid-Western Regional Hospital hours before he committed suicide was not discharged by his department.

Patrick Cregan was brought to the psychiatric wing 5B of the hospital on the afternoon of August 6 when signed in by a GP as an involuntary patient due to his condition.

Mr Cregan, 56, was moved to the A&E department to have injuries treated. However, the HSE refused to detail Mr Cregan’s movement within the hospital between A&E and 5B before he was allowed home the following morning.

After getting a bus at the stop near the hospital gate, Mr Crean went to his rented house in Carrickerry where he was found dead that afternoon.

Prior to being sent to the hospital, evidence was found at his house that he had attempted to commit suicide.

A&E consultant Colman O’Leary said yesterday that while Mr Cregan attended his department while in hospital, he was not discharged from the hospital by A&E.

Mr O’Leary said: “He did not leave from my department. He was not discharged from my department to go home by bus. As he was admitted to the hospital at the request of a GP on an involuntary basis, he could not leave through A&E.

“He was always under the care of the psychiatric service and we only saw the patient in this department as a supportive measure.”

From Mr O’Leary’s comments it would appear that Mr Cregan returned to wing 5B and left the hospital from there.

The HSE has started an inquiry into the circumstances of the discharge of Mr Cregan from psychiatric care less than 17 hours after he was signed in on an involuntary basis due to his psychiatric condition.

Mr Cregan, who was married with a family, was a native of Granagh and lived alone in Carrickerry where he rented a house.