A HOSPITAL has apologised “unreservedly” before the High Court to the family of a man who died after what his family said was “an unjustifiable delay” in treatment for a perforated bowel. A €500,000 payment to the family will also be made.
Barry Murphy (38) died at the South Infirmary-Victoria University Hospital in Cork on the evening of April 24th, 2008. Mr Murphy, a financial controller who had Crohn’s disease, was admitted to the hospital that morning with abdominal pain, later diagnosed as a perforated bowel.
His widow Mary, of Meadowgrove, Westwood, Carrigaline, Co Cork, sued the hospital, alleging her husband’s death was the result of negligence: that it failed to properly care for him and failed to operate on him in time.
The hospital admitted liability and, in an apology read in court yesterday, it said the level of care provided to the late Mr Murphy regrettably “fell short of an acceptable standard”.
The apology said the hospital “deeply regrets” the family’s loss and wished to “apologise unreservedly to Mrs Murphy, the couple’s two daughters and Mr Murphy’s extended family”.
John Lucey SC, for Ms Murphy, told Mr Justice John Quirke the family would receive a payment of €500,001 in settlement of their action. The hospital had initially denied the claims but subsequently admitted liability and had offered an apology, he said.
Ms Murphy was satisfied with the apology and would accept the settlement, Mr Lucey added.
What had happened to her husband was “unthinkable” and his loss was “tragic”, the judge said, adding he wished there was more he could do for them.
In her action, Ms Murphy claimed she suffered significant psychological damage and post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of her husband’s death.
Ms Murphy alleged an unjustifiable delay in delivering adequate and proper care to her husband after he was admitted to the A&E department on April 24th, 2008. He died at 11.15pm.