RTÉ’s Prime Time has uncovered details of failings of care at Portiuncula Hospital in Co Galway.
The case relates to an 11-month old baby.
In August 2012, Teresa Dunne brought her an 11-month-old baby Eoghan to Portiuncula Hospital having been referred by a GP.
Eoghan’s condition deteriorated and his mother was told he would require ventilation and 12 hours after arriving at the hospital he was transferred to Temple Street Children’s Hospital in Dublin.
Eoghan developed septic shock and later suffered cardiac arrest. He was left with major neurological damage and spent six months in hospital.
In February 2014, the Dunne family received by registered post a report on the care provided to Eoghan at Portiuncula Hospital – they were totally unaware of its existence.
In a letter the hospital apologises for not informing the family. The report had been completed five months previously.
The report identifies a root cause of Eoghan’s care failings.
It says the use of an “early warning score system” which determines the severity of a patient’s condition would have “prompted earlier referral to senior clinical decision-making and review by the Paediatric Consultant on call”, meaning Eoghan “would then likely have arrived in PICU in a better condition.”
On learning of the report on the care provided, Teresa Dunne said: “Well I was just devastated and in shock, I couldn’t believe it and I couldn’t actually read the report so I asked Ronan will you read the report and just tell me what it says, I just can’t read it, I just didn’t want to go back to that day and what had happened.
"I don’t know, I just hoped that maybe it was just nature and that it had happened and we were really unlucky and Eoghan was unlucky but no."
The HSE is currently investigating serious deficiencies in maternity care at Portiuncula Hospital.
It follows the deaths of two babies during childbirth between February and November last year.
A further five babies were seriously deprived of oxygen during delivery at the maternity unit in Portiuncula during the same period.
They had to be transferred to hospital in Dublin for emergency treatment.
The Saolta Hospital Group opened the inquiry after concerns were raised.
Last weekend, it was also revealed the HSE is investigating the deaths of 30 babies at Irish hospitals.
Just over a year ago RTÉ’s Prime Time revealed the deaths of several babies in similar circumstances at the Midland Regional Hospital, Portlaoise.
