Family forced to go public after HSE refuses request for probe

LESS than a year after receiving the all-clear for breast cancer, Ann Moriarty died, leaving behind a devastated husband and teenage son.

Ann’s husband, Karl Henry, said last night he was forced to go public on his wife’s tragic death because the Health Service Executive refused his request for an independent investigation.

The family claim that Ann, who was 53 when she died on April 25 last, was the victim of a number of serious misdiagnoses and administrative errors in Ennis General Hospital during the summer of 2007.

“We are determined to discover how and why multiple errors led to an entirely avoidable and untimely death,” said Mr Henry.

Tipperary mother of three Rebecca O’Malley, who was also wrongly given the all-clear for cancer, said the HSE had every opportunity to deal with Mr Henry’s situation in a manner that showed concern for other patients who might be affected.

“Up until now, they have chosen not to do the decent thing.

“There have been extensive discussions about this case with very senior HSE executives and all Karl’s reasonable requests for an independent investigation have been denied,” said Ms O’Malley.

Mr Henry pointed out that the misdiagnoses and other significant failings had been confirmed in two unpublished HSE internal reports into his wife’s treatment.

He claimed the hospital had reported that two X-rays had been misread and that highly abnormal blood test results showing elevated tumour markers had been filed in Ann’s notes without ever being acted upon by doctors.

Ann, who first developed breast cancer in April 2005, was successfully treated in St James’s Hospital in Dublin.

She underwent a single mastectomy and a short course of radiotherapy and chemotherapy before moving with her family to Ennis, Co Clare, in 2006.

Ann continued to attend St James’s for her six-monthly follow-up checks and, on every occasion up to and including April 2007, was told that she continued to be free of cancer.

In June 2007, Ann was admitted to Ennis General Hospital with a fever.

She had a chest X-ray and, after being given the all clear, travelled to the Canary Islands for a family holiday, unaware that the cancer had returned.

In August, Ann and Karl became concerned about her health and returned to Ennis General Hospital.

Ann was told she was “fine” after tests and an X-ray. A junior doctor gave her a prescription for a common over-the-counter treatment used to treat stomach upsets.

Later the same month Karl took Ann to her GP, unhappy about her state of health. He requested a second opinion. The doctor suggested the Galway Clinic and it was there that the couple received the devastating news that Ann had suffered a recurrence of her breast cancer and that it had spread to other areas of her body.

Within days she was transferred to St James’s, where she was told that her condition was untreatable and terminal.

Ann received palliative care for six months before her death in April.

The HSE said they had been in regular contact with Mr Henry and had a number of meetings to discuss his concerns.

“The HSE has examined fully Mr Henry’s concerns and are anxious, at the earliest opportunity convenient to him, to meet and discuss these issues,” a spokesperson said last night.

The spokesperson said until it had the opportunity to again meet with Mr Henry, it would be inappropriate to comment further publicly.

Mr Henry is now seeking a meeting with Health Minister Mary Harney to ask her to order the independent inquiry.