Maternity hospital offers 'heartfelt' apology to couple whose baby died after birth

It was claimed there was alleged negligence and breach of duty in the treatment of care afforded to mother and her daughter in the course of her delivery and in her neonatal care at the Coombe Hospital in July 2016

Glen and Ciara Holland from Tallaght, Dublin, who settled an action against the Coombe Hospital. on Wednesday. Picture: Collins Courts

The Coombe Hospital has offered “heartfelt and unreserved apologies for failings in care” to the parents of a baby girl who died a day after her birth.

Baby Ruby Holland died at the Dublin hospital almost seven years ago.

A letter of apology from the master of The Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital was read out at the High Court as Ruby’s parents, Ciara and Glenn Holland from Tallaght, Dublin, settled a nervous shock action over her death.

Their counsel Patrick Treacy SC, instructed by Cian O’Carroll solicitor, told the court it was extremely important for the Hollands to get to the root of the tragedy. 

A review of the case by the hospital, he said, acknowledged their pain and suffering but not any deficiencies in their daughter’s care and this had significantly exacerbated the couple’s trauma and suffering. 

He said he could not overstate the importance to the Hollands that the tragic loss of Ruby was acknowledged and the hospital had recently also admitted causation as well as liability in the case.

In the letter, Professor Michael O’Connell offered on behalf of the hospital heartfelt and unreserved apologies for failings in care on the day of Ruby’s birth on July 21, 2016.

The letter said: “In particular, I sincerely regret that the maternal blood pressure was not adequately monitored between 4.15am and 4.46am that day.” 

Referring to the hospital’ s Adverse Incident Review of the events surrounding Ruby’s birth, Prof O’Connell said it was not their intention to add to the Hollands distress in any way.

“I was very sorry to learn that you were unhappy with the process and I sincerely regret that this is the case. I would like to reiterate my apologies for the distress suffered in respect of the tragic outcome and offer my deepest condolences to you and your family,” the letter concluded.

Nervous shock

Ciara and Glenn Holland of Aylesbury Tallaght, Dublin, had sued The Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital for nervous shock. It was claimed there was alleged negligence and breach of duty in the treatment of care afforded to Mrs Holland and her daughter in the course of her delivery and in her neonatal care in the initial minutes of her life and that Ruby was caused to suffer severe and profound injuries which led to her death the following day on July 22, 2016.

It was further claimed there was a failure to appreciate the deterioration in the baby’s condition prior to her delivery which, it was claimed, was attributable to a combination of maternal hypotension and a small placental abruption.

Following birth, it was claimed there was a delay in intubation and a failure to provide effective ventilation to the baby during at least three of the first four minutes of her life.

There was, it was alleged, a failure to appreciate that the mother's blood pressure had fallen markedly in the aftermath of the administration of the epidural top-up.

There was, it was claimed, a failure to proceed with the expeditious delivery of the baby at a time that would have averted the onset or severity of her hypoxia-related injuries.

Ruby was delivered at 5.17am by forceps delivery and she was later transferred to the neonatal unit, where active cooling treatment took place.

Senior counsel Patrick Treacy told the court that case had been settled and it was before the court for the division of the statutory mental distress payment.

He said an expert on their side would say would say the quality of foetal and maternal monitoring was substandard.

Approving the division of the solatium, Mr Justice Paul Coffey said there were very tragic facts and circumstances to the case and he offered his deepest sympathy to the Holland family.