Family 'broken beyond repair' as they settle action against HSE over death of daughter

The court also heard that while coming to terms with Tara’s death the family were shocked and appalled to receive an invoice from Galway University Hospital patient accounts department with a cover letter which referred to Tara’s date of death as her date of discharge

(Left to right) Father Noel Coyne, mother Geraldine and sister Lisa outside the High Court today. 'We hope that no other family is ever put through what happened to our family.' Picture: Collins Courts

“We have lost the heart of our family. Our family is broken beyond repair. Tara should never have lost her life.” 

These are the words of the Coyne family who on Thursday settled a High Court action against the HSE over the death of their 25-year-old daughter Tara who took her own life in the Adult Acute Mental Health Unit at Galway University Hospital almost six hours after she had been voluntarily admitted to the unit.

“Tara is a wonderful person who brought us so much love and joy to everyone she knew. We miss her every second of the day. 

Our family is broken beyond repair and we continue to struggle with the loss of our beautiful Tara. 

"We hope that no other family is ever put through what happened to our family,” Tara’s sister, Lisa said in a statement outside the Four Courts on behalf of her family including Tara’s parents Geraldine and Noel Coyne of Roundstone, Co Galway. 

Ms Coyne also revealed that while coming to terms with Tara’s death they were shocked and appalled to receive an invoice for the amount of €80 from Galway University Hospital patient accounts department with a cover letter which referred to Tara’s date of death as her date of discharge. She said the original invoice had been generated on July 20, 2020, only six days after her sister’s death.

Tara’s mother Geraldine had on behalf of her family sued the HSE over the death of her daughter. The family settled an action over the death of Tara at the Adult Acute Mental Health Unit at the Galway hospital on July 14, 2020, and it was before the High Court for the distribution of the statutory mental distress payment of €35,000.

The family’s counsel, Kelda Doherty BL instructed by Ciaran Tansey solicitor, told the High Court the case concerned the tragic and untimely death of Ms Coyne, and the HSE had admitted a breach of duty and causation in the case. Ms Coyne, a nurse in the UK, had been suffering from anxiety and depression.

Tara Coyne. Her family said: 'Tara is a wonderful person who brought us so much love and joy to everyone she knew.' 

University Hospital Galway and the Saolta Group in a letter apologised to the Coyne family.

It said it wished to acknowledge the tragic death of “your beloved Tara and the immeasurable personal loss to you and your family”. It added: “The management team at the Adult Acute Mental Health Unit sincerely and unreservedly apologise to you and your family for failing to take remedial action in relation to the en-suite doors in a more timely fashion.” It also expressed sincere condolences on the family’s great loss.

Family statement

Outside court, Tara’s sister said the family could not understand “and have serious questions as to how Tara was placed on only medium frequency observation in the mental health unit of the hospital but was then found dead within five-and-a-half hours".

“This is especially so in light of Tara having admitted herself to that unit after an urgent recommendation from the Community Suicide Crisis Assessment Nurse,” she said. “We as a family still struggle with the timeline as set out by the hospital authorities.” 

The family, she said, do not understand why the ambulance was not called until 9pm and “it took 55 minutes before Tara was transferred to the hospital’s resuscitation unit when the distance is only a two-minute drive.” 

She said she hoped no other family experienced “a delay in obtaining the hospital-mandated final report". The report, she said, was completed on December 1, 2020, but not issued to the family until February 3, 2023.

“We have lost the heart of our family and Alex Cowen has lost his beautiful girlfriend of four-and-a-half years. Tara is a wonderful person who brought us so much love and joy to everyone she knew.

"We miss her every second of every day. Our family is broken beyond repair and we continue to struggle with the loss of our Tara. We hope that no other family is ever put through what has happened to our family,” she said.

At the end of the court hearing, Mr Justice Paul Coffey said it was a heartbreaking case and he extended his deepest sympathy to the family. “No words can comfort you for what has happened,’ the judge said.