University Hospital Galway has issued an apology for “shortcomings in the obstetric care” given during the delivery of a baby girl who passed away just one hour after her birth, reports Breaking News.
The High Court was told that the death of Baby Ailbhe Gilligan five years ago has left a profound emptiness in the lives of her family.
Her parents, Anna and Gerard Gilligan from Oranmore, Co Galway, brought a case against the HSE following the death of their daughter on October 27th, 2020, reports Breaking News.
Their counsel, Doireann O’Mahony BL alongside John O’Mahony SC, described the situation as a heartbreaking and deeply distressing case.
The court heard that the family’s claim involved alleged deficiencies in CTG monitoring of Ailbhe’s heart rate, which they argued was not consistently done, and at times absent. They said she suffered a hypoxic ischaemic insult — a brain injury due to oxygen deprivation, reports Breaking News.
Baby Ailbhe died an hour after her birth despite efforts to resuscitate her, the court was told.
A letter of apology from University Hospital Galway was read out in court as the Gilligans reached a settlement in their case against the HSE.
In the letter, hospital general manager Chris Kane offered sincere condolences to the Gilligan family on behalf of himself and the hospital on the loss of Ailbhe, reports Breaking News.
“The hospital acknowledges the shortcoming in the obstetric care provided during Ailbhe’s delivery and we sincerely apologise in this regard,” it said.
It continued: “We understand that this statement cannot change or negate your loss, but wish to convey our deepest sympathies to you and to Ailbhe’s extended family,” reports Breaking News.
According to the legal claim, CTG monitoring was described as allegedly grossly inadequate, with the foetal heart rate not being monitored at certain times.
It was further claimed that there was a delay in responding to abnormal CTG readings and a failure to monitor properly, which allegedly led to Ailbhe suffering a hypoxic ischaemic insult, reports Breaking News.
Despite attempts at resuscitation, Ailbhe died about one hour after her birth.
The claim argued that had she been delivered earlier, resuscitation would likely have succeeded, and she could have survived.
It was alleged that proper, continuous CTG monitoring was not maintained, and lapses in monitoring led to periods with no foetal heart readings, reports Breaking News.
Early signs of foetal distress were also allegedly missed.
The HSE acknowledged a breach of duty during the management of labour and delivery, including the failure to repeat a foetal scalp blood sample on three occasions and not expediting delivery in response to CTG tracings, reports Breaking News.
However, the HSE disputed that these failures were solely and entirely responsible for Ailbhe’s death.
Mr Justice Paul Coffey approved the settlement and expressed his deepest sympathies to Ailbhe’s parents and their extended family, describing it as a very sad and tragic case, reports Breaking News.
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