Our Roger Murray (SC), medical negligence solicitor at Callan Tansey Solicitors, represented the family of tragic Nicholas Power after a verdict of medical misadventure was returned at Sligo Courthouse after the inquest into the 12 years old’s death.
“This is a tragedy that should never have happened”, Roger Murray stated and “lessons need to be learned following the heartbreak Nicholas’s family had to endure”.
After the inquest, Mr Murray stated that Nicholas’s mother “gave very harrowing and powerful and articulated evidence yesterday, which really resonated with everyone there, parents in particular.” Nicholas’s parents had four brief messages that she gave before the inquest, and wanted to relay to others.
“The first is listen to the parents. They know the child best. Second, get outside help early. Consider transfer, and don’t treat every child the same,” Mr Murray said. “These were the messages that she delivered very eloquently and powerfully yesterday and that she and her husband Peter have asked me to repeat today again.”
The family’s request for transfer should have been acted on much earlier
Speaking on RTÉ’s News at One, Mr. Murray said that Nicholas’s parents felt that they were ignored after requesting that he was transferred to CHI (Children’s Health Ireland) Crumlin, and their request should have been acted on much earlier.
“It has to be said in Nicholas’s treatment, it recommends and advises that the team in Crumlin should be contacted and that it would be prudent for the team in Sligo, the paediatric team to contact Crumlin to inform them of Nicholas’s admission and seek further guidance because of his complex cardiac history and the other issues that he had,” he said.
“That recommendation was made at about 8pm on 26 March, and sadly it wasn’t followed through on at the time and Crumlin weren’t contacted for over 12 hours later, that is at 9.30am on the 27 March,” Mr Murray added. “Sadly, the family say this was too late for Nicholas. He continued to go downhill and he died in the afternoon in Sligo on 27 March without the transfer having taken place.”
Mr Murray said that Nicholas’s mother Alice “said that she, on the Saturday, that is 25 March in the afternoon, and again in the morning on 26 March, raised this issue with one of the senior paediatricians She said that her view was that Nicholas did need to go to Crumlin, or that Crumlin should be contacted, and her evidence was that she was ignored. The doctor to whom she spoke said he didn’t recall this particular exchange, but Alice was very, very clear in relation to her testimony.”
Mr Murray said there were a number of issues not followed through on following Nicholas’s admission to Sligo University Hospital.
“When he was admitted on 25 March, he was triaged about 3.30pm, and it was evident that he had an infective process going on. He had a chest x-ray done, and that showed the collection of fluid in his chest. At that stage, a sepsis form later on 25 March, was partially completed by a doctor, but not signed and that particular thread wasn’t followed.” he said.
“His early warning scores … anything over six or seven is alarming and is supposed to trigger certain mandated responses, including senior review and continuous monitoring. Unfortunately, with Nicholas, his scores were into the teens, way, way higher than they should have been. Unfortunately, the parameters that were set in terms of the response, the family say weren’t adequate.”
Media Links
- Interview with Roger on Ocean FM: ‘Parents should be listened to’ – Family’s plea after death of 12 year old boy at Sligo Hospital
- Interview via Irish Independent: Solicitor for family of tragic Nicholas Power speaking after the inquest into the 12 year old’s death