Under-Resourced Accident & Emergency Departments

Even prior to the outbreak of Covid-19 A&E departments across the UK and Ireland were under-resourced and struggled to the meet the demands they faced on a daily basis.

The problem seems to lie in a shortage of doctors and beds within A&E departments and their ability to react quickly enough to critically ill patients who present themselves as medical emergencies.

In cases like this where the circumstances of a death appear to have been potentially avoidable or where a rapid response was lacking, the Hospital will highlight the occurrence as a ‘Serious Adverse Incident’ and a full investigation will ensue with a detailed report of the findings published thereafter. A proportion of their cases will invariably be referred to the Coroner to conduct an inquest

Medical Negligence

In such cases aggrieved families of the deceased will seek redress by pursuing a civil action against the Heath Trust for medical negligence. Needless-to-say, these cases can take considerable time and effort, sometimes involving detailed and complex investigations, before they are eventually resolved.

In many cases the families involved are simply seeking an acknowledgement that there was a procedural or systemic error in the treatment of their loved one accompanied by an apology. Ultimately a civil suit gives families as sense of justice and a means of rectifying a wrong that should not be repeated again.