Girl gets €187k for hearing diagnosis delay

Substantial delays in diagnosing and treating a child’s severe hearing difficulties resulted in an award to the seven-year-old girl yesterday of €187,500 from the HSE.

Some €130,000 of the award was lodged at the High Court for the benefit of Hannah White until she reaches the age of 18.

The balance of €57,500 was for special damages to cover surgery at the world-renowned Portland Hospital in London, where parents Mark and Monica White, of Cairn Woods, Ballyviniter, Mallow, Co Cork, brought their daughter privately for a cochlear implant.

Ms White spoke yesterday of the frustration of not being listened to by the HSE when she and her husband knew their daughter’s hearing was seriously impaired.

“At one stage I was called a hysterical mother,” said Ms White

John O’Mahony SC, representing the plaintiff in the civil action, said: “The parents, sensibly, were not happy and stressed their unhappiness to the HSE. Hannah was born in Jan 2007 and on three occasions in that year they went hot-foot and said our daughter does not appear to have [normal hearing].”

Dr O’Mahony said of the HSE’s response to their concerns: “Profound hearing impairment was missed.

“They went private and alarm bells went off loudly and clearly. Serious impairment that Hannah had was identified at that point.”

Dr O’Mahony acknowledged that testing for hearing was difficult with younger infants but even allowing for that, he said, it was vital to have the cochlear implant at age one or two if possible.

“Not alone did they [HSE] miss the diagnosis on several occasions, but when it came to appropriate treatment and management there were very unsatisfactory responses from the defendant [HSE],” said Dr O’Mahony. “Even when they clearly misdiagnosed [and it later came to light] they did not have a sense of urgency sufficient to deal with the problem.

“Because of the manner of the lethargy and inertia of the HSE the parents took it upon themselves to contact Portland Hospital.”

Mr Justice Brian McGovern noted from the background reports in the case that the plaintiff would have required cochlear implants in any event and the issue was the delay in getting the procedure.

The judge said Hannah was fortunate to have parents who had gone to such lengths to get the proper treatment.

Ms White thanked Dr O’Mahony and her solicitor, Eamon Murray, for their advice in the case.