Hospital apologises for 'failings in care' of grandad who died days after presenting with shortness of breath

The apology was read to the High Court as William Carpenter’s widow and family settled a High Court action for €140,000.

Beaumont Hospital has apologised for the "failings in care" of William Carpenter who was discharged from the hospital emergency department with a prescription after he first presented at the hospital with shortness of breath. File photo: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie

A Dublin hospital has apologised in court for the "failings in care" to a 64-year old man who died of a heart attack four days after he first presented at the hospital with shortness of breath.

Grandfather to six, William Carpenter was referred to Beaumont Hospital on August 6, 2013, and was noted to have a history of increasing shortness of breath. After an ECG he was discharged from the hospital emergency department with a prescription, but four days later he went back to the hospital where he was admitted to the acute medical unit. He died of cardiac arrest almost four hours later.