Minister in North apologises for swine flu confirmation delay

Health Minister Michael McGimpsey tonight apologised to the family of a teenage Derry girl for the delay in telling them she had swine flu.

Orla O’Kane’s relatives were told she had swine flu two days after the 14-year-old’s funeral. She was a pupil at a special school.

An emergency meeting was held today to discuss how the case was handled.

Mr McGimpsey said: “I want to offer my sincere apologies to the family of Orla O’Kane for the distress caused by the delay in being told their child had confirmed swine flu.

“This was clearly unacceptable and only created further anxiety for a family who were grieving for their child.”

He added urgent action would now be taken, including putting arrangements in place to offer the swine flu vaccine to children and young people in special schools as soon as possible.

Further guidance to healthcare professionals on the follow-up and communication of all positive swine flu results to patients will also be issued.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Michael McBride will also release updated advice about funeral arrangements and the handling of remains.

Mr McGimpsey asked Dr McBride to hold an urgent meeting of relevant organisations to determine what exactly happened in this case.

“Following his meetings today, the chief medical officer has advised me that there are still some matters which require clarification but what is clear is that there has been an unacceptable breakdown in communication,” he said.

“Dr McBride has advised me of immediate steps that need to be taken and I have asked that he provide me with a full report on this matter and any further actions necessary as soon as possible.

“Orla’s death has also highlighted the particular vulnerability of children in special schools to the complications of swine flu.”

The Western Trust has said it will prevent similar delays in future. It said it “regretted” distress caused to the O’Kane family by the delay.

Orla, who had cerebral palsy, was a pupil at Foyle View Special School. The principal, Michael Dobbins, said that staff and pupils were devastated by her death.

“I think it is very hard for the parents who are having to deal with such a tragic loss. Every year we have parents with children who have underlying medical conditions, they deal with the worry of seasonal flus every autumn,” he said.

He added they had considered closing the school but taking the advice of the public health authorities had decided to remain open.

He paid tribute to Orla.

“Orla was a great wee girl, such a bright person, she just brightened the lives of everyone who knew her,” he added.

“She was deeply loved by her family, they doted on her. It is such a tragic loss.”

The teenager’s death was the fifth related to swine flu in the North.

Earlier this month a 12-year-old boy died in the Ulster Hospital at Dundonald on the eastern outskirts of Belfast – less than 48 hours after it was announced a toddler under the age of three died in the North.

A baby died in September but a pre-existing heart condition was determined as the cause of death.

In August the mother of two young children died. She had been fighting cancer for five years.

A soldier from Co Derry, who was based in the south of England, also contracted the virus and died in Surrey at the end of July.