A settlement of €100,000 was reached through an HSE CAMHS scheme on behalf of a young boy who was prescribed antipsychotic medication by a junior doctor who was not being properly supervised. Liability was admitted. The case was resolved in 2026.
Our client
Our client was a young boy who was receiving care from a child and adolescent mental health service. His family placed their trust in that service to look after him and to prescribe for him safely.
What happened
Our client was prescribed a number of medications, including antipsychotic medication. That medication was prescribed by a junior doctor who was not being adequately supervised by a consultant. Over a short period, our client gained a significant amount of weight, lost interest in activities he had previously enjoyed, and developed breast tissue. After the medication was stopped he lost the weight he had gained, although some of the breast tissue remained.
How the claim was investigated
Keith Rolls acted for the family. A hospital or health service is responsible for ensuring that a junior doctor is properly supervised, and that medication as significant as antipsychotic medication is prescribed and monitored appropriately. Independent evidence was obtained from a consultant child psychiatrist, a plastic surgeon, and a clinical psychologist to set out what had gone wrong and its effect on our client.
The outcome
The matter was resolved in 2026 through the HSE CAMHS scheme by way of a settlement of €100,000, with liability admitted.
How Coleman Legal LLP Helped
Keith Rolls guided the family through the process from the first consultation. They instructed the medical experts whose evidence explained the failures in supervision and prescribing, and the physical and psychological effects on our client, and they handled the process on the family’s behalf so the family did not have to.
