Verdict Of 'Medical Misadventure' Surrounding Death Of 16-Year-Old Aoife Johnston At UHL
A verdict of medical misadventure has been returned in the inquest into the death of Aoife Johnston.
The 16-year-old died in December 2022 at University Hospital Limerick after she was left 12 hours before seeing a doctor.
Multiple staff members at UHL who were working while Aoife Johnston was there cried as they gave evidence in the witness box.
Some described the facility as a "warzone" on the day she presented - with others describing the overcrowding as "unprecedented".
The current hospital manager said those words were never mentioned on that weekend when she got updates about the facility from staff.
The inquest heard evidence of some consultants not showing up to UHL to help alleviate overcrowding.
It was told Aoife Johnston presented with an on-call GP referral letter which queried sepsis - and under protocols she should have been seen within 15 minutes.
However, a doctor didn't examine her for 12 hours - and she didn't receive what was said to be life-saving antibiotics until it was too late - 15 hours after she presented.
Aoife Johnston died on December 19th, 2022 - with her parents saying they watched their daughter die despite begging staff for help.
The HSE CEO in a statement said he wanted to restate the body's unequivocal apology to her family - saying no words will take away their pain.
Bernard Gloster said there is considerable work to be done to ensure the people of the mid-west have a service they have confidence in.
