The HSE and Sligo University Hospital have apologised to the family of a 19-year-old student who died of a bleed to her brain three days after collapsing and being rushed to the Sligo hospital.
Lisa Niland was taken to the Sligo hospital after collapsing in a fast food restaurant with severe head pain and dizziness.
Counsel for Lisa’s family, Eoin McCullough, told the High Court today there were three cases before the court relating to the tragic death of Lisa Niland brought by her father, Gerry, Mother, Angela and sister Amy. All cases were settled and the terms of the settlements are confidential.
CT scan
It was the family’s case had Lisa had a CT scan earlier at Sligo University Hospital and been transferred urgently for treatment in Dublin, on the balance of probabilities she would have survived. The CT scan of her brain was carried out over 10 hours after she was reviewed in the Sligo hospital after her collapse.
In a letter to the Niland family which was read to the High Court Sligo University Hospital and the HSE said it would like to sincerely apologise that the care provided at the hospital “did not reach the standard expected.”
The letter acknowledged that the experience was “devastating” for the Niland family and has had “a profound and lasting effect” on them.
Diagnosis
After collapsing in the restaurant, Lisa Niland, from Drimbane, Curry was taken to the Sligo hospital at 9.20pm on January 17th, 2017 and it was noted she had headache, dizziness and vomiting. It was claimed she was only seen at 11.15pm and an ECG was done and diagnoses of pancreatitis and meningitis were recorded.
There was it was claimed a failure to have regard to the fact that on her admission to the Sligo hospital the key symptom was a sudden onset of headache followed by vomiting and a failure to make brain haemorrhage a diagnosis that had to be excluded by a scan.
There was also it was claimed a failure to arrange an urgent CT scan following her review by a doctor on January 17 or at any time up until 9.51am on January 18, over ten hours later.
Lisa’s father Gerry Niland of Drimbane, Curry, Co Sligo had sued the HSE over the death of his daughter on January 20th, 2017. He and his wife Angela and Lisa’s sister, Amy who had sued over nervous shock were in court for the ruling of the settlement.
Approving the settlements Mr Justice Kevin Cross extended his sympathy to the Niland family on the loss of their daughter and sister.
