Former nurse 'considering' making garda complaint over alleged treatment at Limerick hospital
A former nurse has said she is “considering” making a complaint to gardaí and contacting her solicitor, after claiming she received an anonymous text message warning her not to speak to the media about her experiences as an in-patient at University Hospital Limerick (UHL).
Sinead Johnson, (48), claimed the message, sent to her last Friday, warned that if she continued to speak to the media, journalists would be tipped off she had suffered with her mental health.
The mother of two said she sees this as a “disturbing” attempt to discredit her and to shut her up.
Ms Johnson, a native of Parteen, Co Clare, and living in Ballybunion, Co Kerry, outlined a series of serious allegations on the Limerick Today programme on Limerick’s Live 95FM, Monday.
She told presenter Joe Nash that despite having being treated for “severe depression from 2007-2010”, this did not “define” her as a person.
It does not undervalue me, and it does not remove my rights to have a voice...I am not going to be bullied into being quiet,” she added.
Ms Johnson, who is a former director of nursing at a private nursing home company, highlighted what she said were “torturous” conditions in the hospital during last summer's heatwave, when the temperature in her hospital room soared to 42C as it had no air-conditioning system.
Ms Johnson said she spoke to reporters about the issue because nurses had asked her to highlight the poor conditions.
The Clare native, who suffers with a chronic debilitating condition that prevents her from absorbing food, had attended UHL last April for a routine procedure. However, she ended up spending four months as an inpatient after she developed sepsis and other complications which left her fighting for her life.
Among other claims, Ms Johnson has said staff were in a “rush” to perform the procedure and ignored her repeated requests to be taken back to her ward to receive sedation.
'Dehydrated'
She said she was initially told she would be fasting but then informed she should have “tea and toast” as she was dehydrated and that the procedure would not happen until later in the evening.
However, she claimed she was wheeled into the surgical room around 11am, an hour after eating, and that staff informed her she would have to have the procedure without sedation, to prevent a risk to her airway as she had consumed food and fluids.
In a letter of complaint sent to the hospital, dated July 21 last, Ms Johnson explained that, prior to having the procedure, she had agreed instructions with a member of her surgical team that she would only have it done under sedation.
She said this was agreed as she had previously been through a number of painful procedures during her long hospital stay.
She alleged that just before the procedure got underway a hospital staff member informed the surgeon that Ms Johnson had given consent to having the procedure performed without sedation, despite Ms Johnson claiming that, in fact, she had repeatedly told staff that she would only undergo it under sedation.
Ms Johnson has been referred to a UK hospital for further surgery.
When contacted, a spokesperson for UL Hospitals Group said they had not been aware of Ms Johnson’s claims about the text message.
They confirmed however that UHL has fully investigated her complaints in relation to her medical care at the hospital.
In a statement received last night, UHL said: “We would like to confirm that a full investigation was carried out into the complaint made by Ms Johnson.”
“Correspondence was issued in November which outlined options for the patient to have her complaint reviewed should she wish, which is in line with the Your Service Your Say complaints processes,” it added.
UL Hospitals Group sincerely regrets that any patient has a poor experience and welcomes feedback from patients and families so that we can improve services.
It also stated: “UL Hospitals Group would appreciate if Ms Johnson were able to provide details of the text message that she received...Any assertions that the text message came from an employee of UL Hospitals Group is very concerning and requires investigation.
“We would welcome Ms Johnson's support in helping us do that,” the statement concluded.
Meanwhile, a letter dated August 1 last, and received by Ms Johnson, which was signed by a senior UHL staff member, stated they were “so sorry to hear of your experience with our service”.
The senior hospital staff member said they would be “reviewing your correspondence with the relevant staff involved in your care and will issue you with a response on or before 12th September 2018”.
Speaking last night, Ms Johnson said she had not received this response from UHL, nor any other correspondence, nor any apology from the hospital.
