Dianne Willmore, who passed from mesothelioma in 2009, won a landmark £240,000 case, holding Knowsley Borough Council liable for her asbestos exposure during school. Her case prompted legal and financial ramifications for local authorities nationwide, leading to increased awareness and changes in asbestos-related negligence proceedings.
Shane Flynn, 35, owner of a Mullingar clinic, was convicted of sexual assault after inappropriately touching a client seeking back pain relief. The investigation also revealed 18 hours of footage showing Flynn secretly filming 35 women during massages, raising further concerns about his conduct and abuse of trust within his practice.
Naveed Rana, a Dublin taxi driver, was sentenced to five and a half years for the assault of an 18-year-old woman after a night out. The court heard how Rana took advantage of the victim’s trust, driving erratically and assaulting her before being apprehended due to her quick actions in reporting the incident to Gardaí.
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The Health Service Executive has announced plans for a comprehensive review of the records of nursing home residents in a facility where a staff member raped a resident in 2020. This review will encompass the 16-year period during which the individual was employed at the home.
The staff member responsible for the rape was sentenced to 11 years in prison for the assault on a resident known by the pseudonym Emily, who passed away in 2021. An independent report recently suggested that a broader examination of records for other nursing home residents may reveal further incidents.
A prior governance review of the HSE-operated home where Emily was assaulted had uncovered allegations from other residents about similar incidents involving the same healthcare worker, but these claims were not pursued thoroughly. Due to time constraints, an initial examination of the records of a further 79 residents could only review 32 cases, resulting in 21 safeguarding concerns being reported to the authorities by social workers.
The latest report, authored by safeguarding expert Jackie McIlroy, criticised the limited scope of the previous record review. McIlroy branded the review “a missed opportunity” for the HSE to uncover valuable information about the extent of potential harm to residents while the memories of staff, residents, and families were still fresh.
The report acknowledges that a broader review may yield inconclusive results and potentially cause great distress to affected families. Nevertheless, it emphasises that the lessons learned from this process could help minimise risks for residents in healthcare facilities throughout Ireland.
The report recommended that the HSE consult with residents or their relatives to determine their preferences regarding their records being included in future reviews. McIlroy noted that the opinions of families and staff varied, with some questioning the purpose of reopening records while others called for a transparent investigation.
HSE Chief Executive Bernard Gloster stated that they are currently developing a process for the wider review and intend to reach out to the families of all nursing home residents during the offending staff member’s period of employment.
Shane Flynn, 35, owner of a Mullingar clinic, was convicted of sexual assault after inappropriately touching a client seeking back pain relief. The investigation also revealed 18 hours of footage showing Flynn secretly filming 35 women during massages, raising further concerns about his conduct and abuse of trust within his practice.
Naveed Rana, a Dublin taxi driver, was sentenced to five and a half years for the assault of an 18-year-old woman after a night out. The court heard how Rana took advantage of the victim’s trust, driving erratically and assaulting her before being apprehended due to her quick actions in reporting the incident to Gardaí.
Pat Murphy, a 34-year-old father, died after a ruptured artery went undiagnosed at Cork University Hospital. Despite suffering severe chest pains, he faced a nine-hour wait for a CT scan, delayed further by a malfunctioning machine. His family claims this delay contributed to his tragic death.
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