Inquest hears of 'divergence of views' in care of woman kicked in head by horse

Ms Sainsbury, a hairdresser who ran her own salon in her hometown, died from her injuries in Beaumont Hospital in Dublin five days later after originally being treated at the Midland Regional Hospital in Mullingar.

Counsel for Ms Sainsbury’s parents, Esther Earley BL, told a sitting of Dublin District Coroner’s Court that her family was anxious that a statement be obtained from a nurse at the Midland Regional Hospital in Mullingar who had cared for her.

Ms Earley said the nurse had seen a serious deterioration in Ms Sainsbury’s condition over a weekend but had experienced difficulty in getting a doctor to review the patient.

The coroner, Cróna Gallagher, heard from legal representatives of both hospitals that statements had already been provided by some medical staff in Mullingar and Beaumont.

However, Ms Earley said it was also “important to hear” from nursing staff who had cared for Ms Sainsbury. A sitting of the inquest last month heard there was “a divergence of views” between doctors who had treated her about contacts between staff at the two hospitals and when such contacts occurred.

Dr Gallagher said she was aware that staff at Beaumont Hospital, which specialises in injuries to the head and spine, are regularly contacted by doctors at other hospitals around the country for advice.

The inquest heard that a large number of doctors at both hospitals had been involved in the care of Ms Sainsbury over the space of a few days but there were no written records of contact between the two facilities.

Dr Gallagher stated that it would be neither desirable nor possible to call every doctor involved in the care of Ms Sainsbury as a witness.

However, counsel for the Midland Regional Hospital in Mullingar, Caoimhe Daly BL, said there was no single radiologist who could provide overarching evidence.

Ms Earley claimed it was “paramount” that the evidence of radiologists would be heard to establish when the deterioration in Ms Sainsbury’s condition began. She observed that there was a “disjointed manner” over how scans of the patient had been taken by different radiographers.

Ms Earley said it was important that a senior consultant radiologist from Mullingar should be in a position to examine all scans taken of Ms Sainsbury and give evidence about them.

Ms Daly said an added complication of the case was that some radiologists were no longer working in Mullingar.

Dr Gallagher adjourned the case until October 31 to allow the parties further time to see if they could produce witnesses to provide a comprehensive overview of the treatment of Ms Sainsbury.