THE HSE has apologised to the family of a man who suffered a fatal heart attack a day after he was released from University Hospital Limerick (UHL).
Thomas Cusack (54) died at his home in Seafield, Quilty, Co Clare on April 18, 2014, after being assessed and discharged by medical staff at the hospital’s emergency department the previous day.
In a civil action before Limerick Circuit Court, Judge Gerald Keys heard that Mr Cusack’s wife Barbara “had strong feelings that her husband had been neglected at UHL”.
Ms Eliza Kelliher BL said that Mr Cusack had a limited life expectancy of between three to six months as he was described as a “very ill man”.
He was brought to UHL after he had a fall at his home and the court was told he had been seriously ill before that.
Ms Kelliher said that, given Mr Cusack’s precondition, tests should have been carried out when he was brought to the emergency department. The results would have shown the abnormalities in his body and he would have been admitted for treatment.
However, Mr Cusack was discharged and within 24 hours, he suffered a cardiac arrest.
Ms Kelliher said that the HSE submitted a defence in the civil action last July but after specialist reports were completed, they admitted negligence.
The court heard that a letter of apology was only drafted on November 18, almost two and half years after Mr Cusack’s death.
“There was some considerable delay getting the HSE to furnish the apology to the family as it took quite a period of time even after they agreed to an apology”, Ms Kelliher said.
In an agreed settlement, Ms Cusack was awarded €47,000 with all four of her children waiving their right to any portion of the award.
However, Judge Keys ordered that €1,000 be invested for the benefit of Mr Cusack’s three year-old grandson until he turns 18.
