Mother ‘could have survived ice fall’

THE son of a woman who died in a Dublin hospital following a fall on ice at home expressed concern at an inquest that his mother could have survived, but the “experts” were not in the hospital at the weekend.

Monica Mary Kernan, known as Imelda, 74, of Nessan’s Close, Howth, Co Dublin, broke her hip when she slipped on ice during the cold snap on January 18, 2010.

Ms Kernan, who had heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure, was brought to Beaumont Hospital by ambulance and had surgery to fix the fracture on January 22.

However, her condition deteriorated and she died three days later, Dublin Coroner’s Court heard.

Speaking from the body of the court, her son, Brendan Kernan, said his mother could have benefited from ICU on January 23 and that there was a possibility she could have survived, but “the experts were not there at the weekends”.

But consultant anaesthetist Dr Brian Lamont, who examined her on the day she died, totally rejected that suggestion.

Speaking afterwards her daughter Denise Nanetti said she was not really happy with the outcome of the inquest, but that the coroner been very fair and had acknowledged there were lots of contributing factors.