Hospital investigated boy’s injury without telling parents

Some cases from last year:

* The parents of a seriously ill boy at Our Lady’s Hospital in Crumlin received a written apology for hurt and distress after authorities there began an investigation into a head injury on the boy without informing them.

They mistakenly believed the mark may have been caused by abuse, whereas it was actually caused by a medical procedure. The parents had said they were unhappy with how they had been treated by staff at the hospital as a result of the unfounded allegation and the investigation. The hospital also pledged to properly implement the Children First guidelines.

* A father was refused the carer’s allowance for looking after his suicidal teenage daughter after a chief medical adviser did not consider her condition to be “so invalided or disabled as to require full-time care and attention”. The ombudsman’s inquiry found that full medical data had not been taken into account, with the result that the man received the allowance and arrears of €10,287.12.

* A woman complained about the care offered to her elderly father at St Vincent’s Hospital, Elm Park, including that he had been left in soiled and wet bed clothing on two occasions when the call bell was not in reach, and worries over the correct administering of medication. The hospital apologised.

The woman made another complaint with regard to her father’s care at St Columcille’s Hospital, Loughlinstown, Co Dublin, particularly that he had been taken out of bed and left unsupervised on a cahir for several hours. Following an investigation the hospital ultimately accepted that best practice was not followed.

* A whistleblower complained about the way his disclosure had been handled by the HSE and an ombudsman probe found best practice had not been followed.

* A Donegal widow got a €19,425 outstanding home loan written off by Donegal County Council due to an anomaly in the case.

Review conclusions

Recommendations of the Steering Group on the Review of the Mental Health Act 2001:

* Patients should be regularly informed why they are being detained.

* Children aged 16 or 17 should be presumed to have the capacity to either consent or refuse treatment.

* Protections provided for involuntary patients should apply equally to voluntary patients.

* Patients should be supported to make informed decisions about their care and treatment.