Beacon Hospital seeks injunctions over alleged falsehoods

Hospital brought High Court proceedings against the widow of a former patient, claiming she is publishing false and misleading information

Ms Justice Siobhan Stack, on an ex-parte basis, granted the hospital permission to serve short notice of the injunction application on the defendant. The matter will return before the court later this month. Picture: Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews

A private medical hospital has brought High Court proceedings against the widow of a former patient, claiming she is publishing false and misleading information about it on social media.

The claim has been made in proceedings taken by the Beacon Hospital Sandyford Ltd against Veronica Delaney who, it alleges, is engaged in a prolonged campaign of spreading falsehoods of the most serious kinds against the hospital and its medical professionals.

It is alleged that the defendant’s husband John was a former patient of the hospital.

The hospital claims that he died of a form of blood cancer known as IgG kappa myeloma on April 1, 2022.

The hospital, represented by Owen Keany Bl, claims that Mrs Delaney, with an address at Weston Crescent, Lucan, Dublin, raised concerns about the care the hospital provided to her husband between March 2022 until the time of his death.

The hospital claims that it engaged extensively with her, with sympathy and sensitivity, following the immense loss she suffered.

However, it claims that over the last 12 months she has engaged in an unwarranted campaign against the Beacon, and has allegedly attacked it with a litany of false allegations.

It claims that, since September 2022, she has posted dozens of untrue statements on social media platforms X and LinkedIn, using different handles and names.

The hospital, through its solicitors Sherwin O’Riordan LLP, corresponded with Mrs Delaney with a view to having the statements removed.

The hospital claims that this has not been possible, and her statements, it is alleged, have become more extreme and damaging.

The court also heard that Mrs Delaney has brought High Court proceedings which, it is claimed, have been dismissed.

As a result of the various statements online, the hospital now seeks orders against Mrs Delaney — including injunctions restraining her from publishing statements of a false and misleading nature concerning the private hospital.

It also seeks an order restraining the defendant from publishing any material asserting a number of things, including that there was an alleged cover-up of her husband’s death.

The matter came before Ms Justice Siobhan Stack yesterday.

The judge, on an ex-parte basis, granted the hospital permission to serve short notice of the injunction application on the defendant.

The matter will return before the court later this month.