Patient’s care records missing, inquest hears

The patient care records of a 65-year-old woman who went into cardiac arrest while waiting for an ambulance went missing following her death, an inquest has heard.

Gloria Sofflet lived with her husband at Merville Court, an assisted living facility run by Dublin City Council in Finglas.

The woman’s family believe she died ‘unnecessarily’ and said they plan to take legal action over her treatment.

Dublin Coroner’s Court heard Mrs Sofflet was feeling unwell on the night of February 16, 2015, and went to bed early. Husband George said he heard her call from the bedroom around 9pm and found her on the floor.

He pulled the emergency cord in the apartment, a system connected to a Telecall service based in Northern Ireland, which contacted the National Ambulance Service in Tallaght, and an ambulance was dispatched.

Mr Sofflet said the Telecall service called him three times seeking further information such as the address.

National Ambulance Service advance paramedic Andy Wilson said he was departing Beaumont Hospital and intended on going to St James’s Hospital to replenish medical supplies when the emergency call came through. He said the ambulance was dispatched at 9.08pm and arrived at the Finglas address at 9.15pm but had difficultly entering the gated complex.

“I hit the siren to draw attention to people inside the courtyard,” said Mr Wilson.

The gate opened but the ambulance crew had difficulty finding the apartment.

Mr Wilson said he then saw a man beckoning from a balcony. On arrival at the Sofflets’

flat, paramedics began resuscitation for 20 minutes but Mrs Sofflet remained in cardiac arrest.

Following her mother’s death, Samantha Boland sought her patient care records from the HSE but was told they were missing.

Mrs Sofflet died of a pulmonary embolism due to deep vein thrombosis, according to an autopsy.

Coroner Dr Myra Cullinane adjourned the inquest to December 13.