Family of man who died in Cork psychiatric hospital settle court action for €1m

High Court reporters

The family of a man who took his own life hours after his admission to a psychiatric hospital in Cork has settled for €1 million in an action against the HSE over his death.

The HSE and St Stephen’s Hospital, Glanmire, Co Cork also apologised in a letter read to the High Court for the “failings in the care” afforded to the man who was found dead in his room at the psychiatric hospital over six years ago.

The man or his family cannot be named by order of the court. The family’s counsel Dr John O’Mahony SC told the court that the €1 million settlement figure is significant and believed to be one of the biggest settlement figures in such cases. Counsel told the court a breach of duty is admitted in the case and the settlement with the HSE was reached after mediation.

The man who died had a history of psychiatric illness and had been in the Glanmire hospital for nine days earlier in November 2019. He had been diagnosed with paranoid psychosis and had been discharged home with an outpatient appointment on November 21, 2019.

In the proceedings, it is claimed that three days later, on November 24, 2019, the man left home, informed a family member he wanted to kill himself and later crashed his car. He was brought by gardaí to the emergency departments of two different hospitals in Cork, where it was claimed attempts were made to admit him.

He was next brought to St Stephen’s Hospital, Glanmire at 2.30am on the morning of November 25, 2019 and admitted, but was found dead in his room before 9am on the same day.

Counsel told the court it was a profoundly sad and tragic case, and the man had previously been an inpatient at the psychiatric hospital on a number of occasions.

On November 25, 2019, he had been admitted as a voluntary patient, counsel said, having “threatened suicide in a very emphatic manner".

Counsel said he may have attempted suicide by crashing his car. The man, he said, was “in a very precarious state” and had drink taken, but after talking to staff, he said he wouldn’t carry out his threats, and he was put in a single room.

Counsel said a system analysis review carried out by the HSE after the man’s death made a number of recommendations, including that when a single room is used for the admission of a patient presenting with suicidal ideation, a robust plan must be in place to minimise the risk. It also recommended that mental health staff should receive training on suicide prevention and that a protocol be implemented in relation to new admissions.

In the apology from the HSE and the hospital, which was read to the court, it said St Stephen’s Hospital would endeavour to ensure lessons are learned from the incident.

“We wish to apologise to you unreservedly and offer our heartfelt condolences. We acknowledge the grief and suffering that you and your family continue to endure. We are truly sorry,” the letter added.

The man’s wife had sued the HSE over the death of her husband.

In the proceedings, it was claimed there was a failure to take, read or consider the man’s medical history and a failure to take into account his history of paranoid psychosis and schizoaffective disorder.

It was further claimed there was a failure to take into account the man’s suicide attempt by crashing his car hours before his hospital admittance.

It was also contended that excessive and unwarranted reliance had been placed on the man’s assertion that he would not self-harm and that there was a failure to set up or maintain a proper suicide watch and to keep the man under continuous observation.

Noting the settlement and the division of the statutory €35,000 mental distress payment, Mr Justice Paul Coffey also extended his deepest sympathy to the man’s wife and wider family.