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A Dublin hospital has apologized to the High Court for failing to care for a man who died of a heart attack four days after he first showed up at the hospital with difficulty breathing.
William Carpenter (64), father and grandfather, was referred to Beaumont Hospital on August 6, 2013 and was noted to have a history of increasing difficulty breathing. After an ECG, he was discharged from the hospital emergency department with a prescription. Four days later, he returned to the hospital, entered the acute unit, and died of cardiac arrest about four hours later.
Dr. John O’Mahony of Mr. Carpenter’s family said it was a deeply sad and tragic case.
The apology on behalf of the hospital was read in court when Mr Carpenter’s widow, Marie, from Marino, Dublin, and her family settled their claim for 140,000 euros.
In the apology, Beaumont Hospital said, along with its nursing and clinical staff, that it would like to extend “its deepest condolences to the Carpenter family on the death of Mr. Carpenter.”
He said the hospital “wishes to unreservedly apologize to Ms. Marie Carpenter and her family for the failures of the hospital and the anguish and pain caused to the Carpenter family.”
In the action, it was claimed that Mr. Carpenter was referred to the hospital emergency department on August 6, 2013, was recorded to have a heart rate of 104 beats per minute, and was noted to have a history of increasing shortness of breath which was worse when lying down.
It was also noted that he was unable to sleep the night before due to lack of air. He had an ECG but it is claimed that he did not undergo any further investigation.
It was stated that the ECG showed abnormalities and Mr. Carpenter was discharged with a prescription.
Mr. Carpenter continued to feel bad and returned to the hospital emergency department four days later, was transferred to the acute care unit, but suffered a heart attack there and died.
It was claimed that Mr. Carpenter was not properly investigated when he presented to the hospital on August 6.
Beaumont Hospital admitted a breach of duty for failing to investigate and admit Mr. Carpenter to the hospital on August 6, 2013.
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