Cork farmer treated by out-of-hours doctor for sore throat later died of heart attack, court told

Outside court, dairy farmer Daniel Cronin’s son, Brendan, said the family  felt very let down by what had happened

Tim Cronin, Brendan Cronin, Marie Cronin, Mary Cronin, and Josephine Delaney outside the Four Courts. Mary Cronin holds up a photo of her late  husband Daniel. Picture: Colins Courts

The family of a Cork farmer who had a heart attack and died hours after an out-of-hours doctor over the phone treated his symptoms as a sore throat has settled a High Court action over his death.

When he spoke to an out-of-hours doctor in the early hours of December 16, 2021, dairy farmer Daniel Cronin had cardio symptoms, such as sweating, neck pain and a red hot chest sensation. However, he was dealt with as a sore throat case, the High Court heard.

The family’s counsel, Doireann O’Mahony BL with Dr John O’Mahony SV, instructed by Daniel Wall, solicitor, told the High Court it was their case that the farmer had cardio symptoms but he was treated as a sore throat and “it cost him his life”. 

The court heard that GP,Antonios Issou, who at the time worked with the SouthDoc GP out-of-hours services with registered offices in Killarney, Co Kerry,  had admitted a breach of duty in the case.

Counsel said Dr Issou accepts that, given Mr Cronin’s symptoms and presentation on December 16, 2021, he should have arranged an in-person consultation, or advised immediate transfer to a hospital emergency department.

Later that morning Mr Cronin, aged 72, was milking cows on the family farm at Knocknagree, Mallow, Co Cork, when he had a heart attack and collapsed and died beside the cow shed.

Mr Cronin’s daughter, Josephine Delaney, Causeway, Co Kerry, and his son, Brendan Cronin of Castlemartyr, Co Cork, had sued GP Antonios Issou over their father’s death. 

In the proceedings, it was claimed there was an alleged failure to investigate Mr Cronin’s worsening symptoms with neck pain and chest pain radiating to the throat and a sensation of a red hot chest, which, it was claimed, had developed by December 16.

There was, it was claimed, an alleged mistaken attribution of Mr Cronin’s symptoms to a sore throat. It was further claimed had Mr Cronin been sent immediately to hospital when he sought medical advice in the early hours of December 16, his threatened cardiac arrest would have been diagnosed promptly and managed appropriately and he would have survived.

The terms of the settlement are confidential and the matter was before the court for the division of the €35,000 mental distress solatium payment.

Counsel told the court it was a profoundly sad and tragic case. Mr Cronin, she said, was a hardworking and active dairy farmer until his death. 

Case background

She said on December 15, 2021, he attended the out-of-hours service with mild throat symptoms. “There was nothing about the presentation to suggest what would unfold later,” counsel said.

In the early hours, counsel said, Mr Cronin woke up with dramatically different and deeply concerning symptoms including radiating neck pain, profound sweating and a red-hot sensation in his chest. Counsel said he rang the South Doc out-of-hours service and the triage nurse correctly classified him as priority.

Counsel said Dr Issou rang Mr Cronin and dealt with the matter as a sore throat. Noting the settlement and approving the division of the solatium payment, Mr Justice Paul Coffey extended his deepest sympathy to Mr Cronin’s wife Mary and the family.

Outside court, Mr Cronin’s son, Brendan, on behalf of the family, said they felt very let down by what had happened.

“Our father loved his family and he loved his farm and we all loved him. He was one in a million,” he said. “We feel very let down. It has been a hard four years. It does now give us some closure and at least we can try to move on.”