HSE apologises for 'hospital's shortcomings' in care of Tipperary student who died days after surgery

In the High Court today the mother and family of Paige Crotty settled their actions against the HSE over her death at South Tipperary General Hospital five years ago. File picture: Denis Minihane.

A 23-year-old Tipperary student who went into her local hospital with pain in her right side died of a blood clot three days after surgery.

In the High Court today the mother and family of Paige Crotty settled their actions against the HSE over her death at South Tipperary General Hospital five years ago.

The HSE admitted it failed in its duty of care to Paige Crotty during her post-operative period.

Mr Justice Kevin Cross in the High Court extended his sincere sympathy to the young woman’s family “for the deepest tragedy that has happened”. Paige from Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, was only 23 years of age and a student of Waterford Institute of Technology studying social care at the time of her death. She was in her third year in college and intended to study for a Masters afterwards.

The family’s counsel, Richard Kean SC with Esther Earley BL instructed by Niamh O’Brien solicitor, told the court three actions arose out of the very tragic death. Her mother Pamela O’Hanlon had sued for nervous shock and on behalf of her family for the death of her daughter. Those actions were settled on a confidential basis. Paige’s 16-year old sister Robyn had also sued for nervous shock and settled her action for €45,000.

In a letter to Paige’s mother last year the general manager of South Tipperary General Hospital, Clonmel, apologised for “the hospital’s shortcomings in the care” which it provided to Paige.

It said it wanted to assure Ms O’Hanlon it had learned from what happened. It said ”in order to try to prevent or to reduce the risk of recurrence" it has implemented a number of recommended changes.

The letter added: “We deeply regret these shortcomings and the death of Paige. 

We acknowledge the distress and the trauma experienced by you and your family and we offer our heartfelt condolences.

Pamela O’Hanlon had sued the HSE over the death of her daughter at the Tipperary hospital five years ago.

Paige had gone to the A&E of the hospital on August 13, 2015 with a complaint of pain in her right abdomen area. She had an ultrasound, and the decision was made to perform surgery to take out her appendix.

During that surgery the next day it was realised the woman's appendix was normal but she had an ovarian cyst. The large cyst and ovary were removed but it is claimed there was a failure in the aftermath of this procedure to take adequate precautions against the young woman developing a deep vein thrombosis.

Paige developed a blood clot in her right calf and multiple pulmonary emboli secondary to this, resulting in her death on August 17, 2015.

It was claimed there was a failure to take any reasonable care for Paige’s safety while she was a patient in the hospital. It was further claimed inadequate doses of anticoagulant were administered and Paige had been given support stockings which were ill-fitting, too short and marked her legs.

It was also alleged Paige after her operation had been placed in a maternity ward which was an unsuitable location for adequate monitoring.

There was a failure, it was alleged, to identify the seriousness of the clinical scenario that existed and the fact that the young woman's condition was rapidly deteriorating. It was claimed it was wrongly provisionally diagnosed she was suffering an internal hemorrhage and there was a failure to consider the possibility she had developed a deep vein thrombosis.

The HSE admitted it failed in its duty of care to the young woman during her post-operative period and in particular it failed to take adequate precautions to manage and reduce her risk of venous thromboembolism.

It also admitted this failure in the post-operative period contributed to her demise.