Medical negligence at Cork University Hospital leads to father’s death

A 34-year-old father died in agony at Cork University Hospital following a wait of over nine hours in the emergency department. Pat Murphy of Glanmire, Co Cork, succumbed to a ruptured artery after being misdiagnosed with having a kidney stone or renal colic. Despite suffering extreme chest pains, the problem in his arteries was not spotted until he underwent a CT scan, which was only carried out following a seizure. The hospital explained that one of their scanners was not working, further delaying Mr Murphy’s scan.

When the ordeal began, Mr Murphy was home watching a football match, Ireland v Portugal. Keerti Murphy, Mr Murphy’s widow, recalled “him getting animated” as Ronaldo was nearing the goal, and the next moment, he had his hands up, clutching at his chest. She could immediately see he “was in agony”. Following emergency phone consultations with a GP, Ms Murphy was advised to call an ambulance. Ms Murphy told the inquest that, at this point, Mr Murphy could barely speak due to the pain he was suffering.

The frightened couple waited 45 minutes, and still, the ambulance had not arrived, so Ms Murphy was forced to call for a taxi instead. They finally reached Cork University Hospital at 12:55 am. According to Mr Murphy’s triage, he was supposed to see a doctor within two hours. Despite this, no one was available until 9:30 am, over eight and a half hours later.

At the recent inquest into her husband’s death, Ms Murphy described the immense pain he had suffered while waiting to be seen. She said that witnessing this has traumatised her, with him even saying, “I cannot stand the pain anymore” at one stage. Mr Murphy lay on the waiting room floor instead of sitting to help ease the pain.

Mr Murphy passed away two days after he arrived at the emergency department on September 3, 2021. His passing was an immense shock to the Murphy family as, according to Ms Murphy’s testimony, Pat never suffered from medical complications, was a runner and was in all-around excellent health. Dr John O’Mahony SC, representing the deceased’s family at the inquest, attributed some of the blame to “an overwhelming delay – a huge delay where vital time was lost.” Cork University Hospital had also lost several documents from Pat’s file, emphasising the hospital’s carelessness.

Following the incident, the National Accident Management System classified Mr Murphy’s injury as “misdiagnosis- incorrect diagnosis”. Despite experiencing debilitating pains in his chest, the staff at CUH initially believed it was a kidney stone or renal colic. Mr Murphy’s loved ones insist that the prolonged wait for medical help was a significant contributor to his death.

Speaking at the inquest, Ms Murphy explained how Pat spent his final hours. She described him being “hooked up to monitors, a tube through his mouth”. Despite being told he was critical, she “still held on to hope”. That was until a nurse later took Ms Murphy’s hand and suggested she contact a priest. When the priest arrived, Ms Murphy said their hearts had “sank…to the very bottom”. She was told to tell Mr Murphy that she and their son Rohan loved him and to kiss him on the forehead. When she realised he had passed, she described “the pain and anguish ripping through [her] body” and barely being able to stand.

Following Mr Murphy’s death, his family attended two meetings at the hospital where representatives explained what had happened. Notwithstanding the harrowing events Ms Murphy had witnessed, she said what they were told at these meetings “was far more haunting and scarring”. Potentially life-saving scans that could have revealed the misdiagnosis were unavailable due to a broken machine. To successfully treat Mr Murphy’s actual illness, an aortic dissection aneurysm, it must be caught early. Despite eventually undergoing an emergency operation, My Murphy passed away two days after he was admitted.

The hospital has issued a formal apology to the Murphy family for the “failings in care during Patrick’s admission to Cork University Hospital and for the failure to diagnose an aortic dissection”. As read out by Caoimhe Daly SC at the inquest, the statement admitted that “several elements were not delivered as promptly as they should have been”. Ms Daly assured the family that Cork University Hospital learned from the incident and would adjust its clinical practices.

Any injury suffered during a medical procedure, whether physical or psychological, may have long-term effects on the victim and their families. Our medical negligence solicitors have assisted many clients in recovering maximum damages, and we believe in putting our clients’ needs first. Contact us at our free phone number, 1800-844-104, or email us at [email protected]