Investigation after death of girl, 16, in University Hospital Limerick
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The Health Minister said he believes it is “imperative” that an investigation regarding the death of a teenager at University Hospital Limerick (UHL) be conducted “quickly and thoroughly”.
It comes as the UL Hospitals Group (ULHG) offered its “sincere condolences” and launched an internal investigation after the death of a 16-year-old girl at the hospital three weeks ago.
The teenager was admitted to UHL, consistently the worst performer nationwide in terms of trolley numbers, with a respiratory complaint.
The internal inquiry launched by the group is the second such investigation instigated at the hospital in less than two years following the death of 16-year-old Aoife Johnston from meningitis at UHL in December 2022.
The reported that the girl, who died in January, was initially admitted to the hospital’s resuscitation area before being transferred to a trolley on a corridor.
She was then returned to the resuscitation area after her condition quickly deteriorated. Despite frantic efforts to revive the girl she failed to regain consciousness.
On the day the girl died, Monday January 29, UHL had the worst overcrowding figures in the country, with 113 people on trolleys.
The next worst hospital on that date was Cork University Hospital with 72 people on trolleys. No other hospital had more than 40 per figures released by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation.
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly is aware of the girl's death, a spokesperson said, and “wishes to express his sincere condolences” to the girl’s family.
“The Minister understands the HSE is in the process of reviewing this case. The Minister believes it is imperative that this is conducted quickly and thoroughly and the family are fully engaged with during this process,” the spokesperson said, adding that “the outcome of the HSE assessment is awaited”.
In a statement to the , ULHG confirmed an investigation is underway.
"We can confirm that a preliminary assessment has been carried out in line with the HSE Incident Management Framework and the findings from this assessment will be shared with the family pending the results of a post-mortem examination,” the group said.
“This is our normal practice where a sudden death occurs in our care.
“We are in direct contact with the family on these matters and it would be inappropriate to comment further,” they added.
The inquiry is the second high-profile investigation of a teenage death at the hospital launched after the death of Ms Johnston from bacterial meningitis in 2022.
A review of her care identified a 12-hour delay in her undergoing sepsis care, amongst other concerns.
Those findings led to the HSE to announce an independent investigation of the death in early January.
In the wake of the review’s findings Damien Tansey, solicitor for Ms Johnston’s family, sharply criticised the HSE’s handling of the matter saying that the family had not known the announcement was coming.
“They learned it from the media,” Mr Tansey said at the time. “It is unfair. At the very minimum, they are entitled to equality of arms.
“The HSE know everything and they know nothing, except what they learn from the media.”