Woman, 75, died within hours of penicillin injection

A penicillin injection was given to a woman aged 75 at Cork University Hospital but she was allergic to the medicine and died within hours.

Yesterday, her family was awarded €85,000 in compensation after a case against the hospital at the High Court, sitting in Cork.

John Lucey, counsel for the family, said that Sarah Buckley, of 197 Farranferris Ave, Farranree, Cork, should not have been given penicillin as she was allergic to the drug.

Mr Lucey told Mr Justice Michael White she was given this drug on December 22, 2014, and died within hours.

The plaintiff in the civil action initiated through solicitor William Harvey, was the husband of the late Mrs Buckley, Charlie Buckley. However, Mr Buckley had himself died in the past few days, on March 30. Yesterday’s award was consequently made to the estate of the late Mr Buckley.

“Penicillin was administered, even though there was an allergy to it and she had an anaphylactic reaction and died a few hours later,” Mr Lucey said.

Mr Justice White approved the settlement offer of €85,000 to the family of the late Mrs Buckley, made by CUH.

“I express my sympathies to the family and for their loss, where just recently her husband passed away,” Mr Justice White said.

The apportionment of the award was €50,000 to the estate of Charlie Buckley and €35,000 for solatium or mental distress, to be divided between family members.