Settlement of €455,000 over meningitis death

The family of a 39-year-old man who died in hospital from meningitis have received an apology from the HSE and a sum of €455,000 under a settlement of their High Court action.

It was claimed Philip Morrissey arrived at the emergency department of St Luke's Hospital, Kilkenny, complaining of headache and intolerance to light and with a high temperature and pulse rate.

It was alleged tests were carried out and he was placed in an isolation room for monitoring, but no doctor treated him between 3.40pm on May 27th, 2010, and 6.05am on May 28th, 2010, when he was found slumped in bed having suffered cardiac arrest.

This was almost 10 hours after his wife was told he was suffering from constipation, it was claimed.

Attempts at resuscitation failed and Mr Morrissey was pronounced dead at 6.40am.

Gail Morrissey had sued the HSE over her husband's death at the hospital from streptococcus pneumoniae meningitis.

Apology

Emily Egan SC, for the HSE, extended an apology on behalf of her client for the failures while Mr Morrissey was in its care. The HSE also apologised to Ms Morrissey and the extended family over the tragic death of the young father of three.

Approving the settlement, Mr Justice Michael Hanna said a "huge tragedy" had befallen the family.

While money could never compensate, it was the best the law could do, he said.

In her action, Ms Morrissey, of Westfield, Outrath Road, Kilkenny, alleged there was failure to consider her husband had streptococcus pneumoniae meningitis and a failure to diagnose and treat it.