A patient who was injured while being treated in a hospital critical care unit after part of a ceiling collapsed onto him has reached a settlement in a High Court case.
Hugh O’Donnell (76) was in the critical care unit at St Luke’s Hospital in Kilkenny last August when a section of the ceiling fell onto his bed. He was left covered in water and debris and was found by staff in a distressed state, reports The Mirror.
His barrister, Niall Flynn BL, instructed by Whelan Law solicitors, told the High Court that the incident occurred on August 15 this year, but that the proceedings had been case-managed to allow the matter to be dealt with quickly due to Mr O’Donnell’s overall health.
Counsel said Mr O’Donnell had been receiving treatment in the critical care unit for respiratory sepsis and other infections. He explained that a section of the ceiling, which had become waterlogged, gave way and collapsed onto Mr O’Donnell’s hospital bed, reports The Mirror.
He said water continued to pour down and that Mr O’Donnell was in distress when staff discovered him, with his bed soaked. He had also sustained abrasions and cuts to his head, and it was further claimed that he suffered psychiatric injuries.
Counsel said liability was accepted at an early stage in the proceedings and that St Luke’s Hospital acknowledged the incident was extremely upsetting for Mr O’Donnell. Correspondence from the HSE stated that it regretted the incident had taken place, reports The Mirror.
Counsel also told the court that the HSE held a patient safety open disclosure meeting with the O’Donnell family, which is understood to have been the first such meeting under the new framework. He said the family expressed gratitude for how the matter had been handled.
Mr O’Donnell, who lives in a nursing home in Urlingford, Co Kilkenny, took legal action against St Luke’s Hospital and the HSE, reports The Mirror.
The legal proceedings alleged there was a failure to take proper or reasonable care to ensure Mr O’Donnell’s safety while he was on the hospital premises, and that the premises were allowed to remain unsafe, creating a danger or trap for those using them.
It was also claimed that the ceiling had been allowed to remain in a hazardous, dangerous and defective condition, reports The Mirror.
In addition, it was alleged there was a failure to ensure the ceiling was repaired or addressed in a timely way so that it would not pose a risk to people on the premises.
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