'Nothing is going to bring our mother back. If we can do something to save other lives, that's all we want'
WHEN KATHLEEN Whiston (inset) was admitted to hospital with a urinary tract infection and for management of her diabetes a month after her husband's death, the thought that she might not come home didn't cross the minds of her sons and daughters.
In her grief over her husband's death, the 75-year-old from Kilincorrig, Greystones, Co Wicklow, had let her diabetes go out of control and she became an inpatient at St Columcille's Hospital, Loughlinstown, on May 15th, 2007. After two days in hospital Mrs Whiston's renal function was back to baseline.
On May 23rd, however, she began to complain of pain and was recommenced on antibiotics, while samples testing for Clostridium difficilewere sent to the lab three days later.
Results the day before her death confirmed Mrs Whiston had Clostridium difficile.
She suffered a heart attack in the early hours of May 29th and never regained consciousness.
"We certainly didn't expect my mother to have gone so soon and she wouldn't have only she got that bug," says daughter Ann Whiston.
"I spoke to the consultant on the Monday - a week before she died and he said if she continues to go the way she's going, there's no reason why she shouldn't go home on Friday. He asked me to come in to learn how to administer the insulin," she says.
The family believes more needs to be done when it comes to tackling superbugs in the hospital and complain of overcrowding in the ward where their mother was, an absence of aprons and face masks for visitors when she was in isolation and overworked staff.
"The HSE should appoint a microbiologist without delay.
The coroner was calling for one last year and if he thinks that's going to help the situation and save over lives - then why not do it?
"Nothing is going to bring our mother back, but if we can do something to save other lives, that's all we want."