Systems failure at LUH results in death of Donegal man

The Galway County Coroner has concluded in his verdict that a 26-year-old Donegal man died as a result of brain injuries after the perforation of his small bowel following a systems failure at Letterkenny University Hospital that led to medical misadventure.
According to RTE News, Dr Ciaran McLoughlin said there seemed to be no satisfactory method in the hospital so that a patient could be transferred safely and securely from the care of one consultant to another.
He said Mr McCloskey was never under the care of a physician consultant when he was admitted to the hospital in Letterkenny in October of 2016.
26 year old John Paul McCloskey from Donegal was admitted to Letterkenny University Hospital on 11 October 2016 complaining of vomiting and diarrhoea but was not operated on and died in Galway University Hospital on 20 October from septic shock after he suffered a perforated bowel.
According to RTE News, the Galway County Corner Court heard that after Mr McCloskey was admitted to hospital, he was to be transferred to the care of a gastroenterologist.
It is reported that the on-call consultant physician said she assumed this had taken place but in a statement the gastroenterologist said he was never made aware of the case.
Corner, Dr Ciaran McLoughlin, said the 26 year old had a bowel obstruction visible on a CT scan, but surgical staff did not take over his care when initially requested.
Two members of the hospital’s surgical staff said they had both examined Mr McCloskey and he showed little abdominal pain so they declined to proceed with surgery at that stage.