Ward sister can't recall 'injection' conversation

A ward sister has told a jury that she couldn’t recall having a conversation with a nurse accused of poisoning two patients in relation to her giving one of them an injection the previous night.

Ms Noelle McCormack was giving evidence on day-ten of the trial of the nurse who has pleaded not guilty to four charges in relation to two elderly patients at Naas General Hospital in 2003.

Ms Noreen Mulholland (aged 35), now living in Park Road, Portadown, Co Armagh denies assault causing harm to Mr John Gethings (aged 77), Baltinglass, Co Wicklow on March 1, 2003. and to Mr Seamus Doherty (aged 80), Rathcoffey, Naas, Co Kildare between June 18 and 19, 2003.

Ms Mulholland, previously of Runabeg Close, Kildare, also denies intentionally or recklessly administering a substance, Serenase, to both men, knowing it was capable of interfering substantially with their bodily functions without their consent on the same dates.

Ms Orla Crowe BL, prosecuting, has told the jury that Mr Gethings died on March 2, 2003 but emphasised that it was not the State’s case that Ms Mulholland was responsible for his death.

Ms McCormack told Mr Giollaiosa O'Lideadha SC, (with Ms Anne B Rowland BL), defending, in cross-examination, that she had no recollection of Ms Mulholland telling her on the morning of the June 19th that Mr Doherty had had a restless night and she had given him an injection of Sernase.

She accepted that the doctor on duty that morning told gardaí that "the nurse in charge" had told him on the morning of June 19th that Mr Doherty had been given an injection of Serenase the previous night because he had been restless and agitated.

She said she had no recollection of this conversation with the doctor but accepted it was possible.

She added that if the patient had been given an injection of Serenase it should have been documented in the nurses' notes and it was not.

Ms McCormack further accepted that she couldn't 100% exclude the possibility that she had informed the doctor on duty that morning of a Serenase injection but said she thought it unlikely because she hadn’t mentioned any such conversation in her garda statement and that was made in July 2003 when she said her recollection would have been clearer.

She said she didn’t recall Ms Mulholland telling her that a patient had thrown a glass of water over her, or that the accused had a wet uniform.

Ms McCormack agreed with Ms Crowe, in re-examination, that it was an unusual procedure for a nurse to call a doctor and have a drug prescribed over the phone but said that it could happen in an emergency situation, particularly during night duty.

She said if this were to happen it would be documented in the nurses' notes and the nurse would be expected to get the relevant doctor to prescribe the medication in the patient’s chart.

Ms McCormack confirmed that there was no mention of a Serenase injection in Mr Doherty’s chart.

Ms McCormack agreed with Mr O'Lideadha, in further cross-examination, that she would make notes in a ward diary when she started her shift in the morning and she would have made such notes on the morning of June 19th.

She accepted that she understood that the hospital had retained the ward diary relating to this period and had refused to disclose it after the defence requested it be released for their examination.

The trial continues before Judge Frank O’Donnell and a jury of six women and six men.