Mother: New standards could have saved my son

A patient advocate whose son died because of a series of misdiagnoses, lost opportunities, and inappropriate care has welcomed new national healthcare standards unveiled yesterday.

Margaret Murphy’s 21-year-old son Kevin, who died in 1999, was suffering from hypercalcemia (too much calcium in the blood), a condition that is treatable in the early stages.

He died in Cork University Hospital but had been treated in the Mercy Hospital where the errors occurred.

Ms Murphy, the World Health Organisation’s Patients for Patient safety champion, was a guest speaker at the launch of 45 standards by the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) in the Mansion House in Dublin.

She described how the standards — a first step towards a licensing system for the Irish healthcare system— both public and private, could have saved her son had they been in existence when he was alive.

The standards, aimed at protecting patients and improving services, take immediate effect in public hospitals.

It is expected private healthcare providers will adopt the standards voluntary in advance of proposed statutory licensing.

“I know it is too late to change the past but, what we can do, we can use that past to inform the present and in the present influence the future,” said Ms Murphy.

The standards were developed by Hiqa after reports by the authority on Ennis Hospital, Co Clare in 2009, Mallow Hospital, Co Cork in 2011, and Tallaght Hospital, Dublin, last year.

The standards were produced following an extensive consultation process conducted by Hiqa. More than 200 submissions were received.

Hiqa CEO Dr Tracey Cooper said they found that strong leadership, governance, and management were essential for the delivery of safe care for patients.

“Therefore, effective leadership and clear accountability, responsibility, planning and management throughout each service are among the requirements set out in these pivotal standards,” she said.

Health Minister James Reilly, who attended the launch, said the standards were now law and that a hospital could be closed for failing to reach them.