Man settles action against HSE over wife's death at Cork hospital for €90,000

A man who sued over the sudden and unexpected death of his wife at Mallow General Hospital five years ago has settled a High Court action for €90,000.
Katherine Heneghan (71), a mother of five and grandmother to 13, died as a result of a blood clot on September 10th, 2020.
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The family's counsel, Dr John O'Mahony SC with Doireann O'Mahony BL, told the High Court there was a 'bed issue' at Cork University Hospital and Mrs Heneghan had been admitted to the Mallow hospital.
Dr O'Mahony said it was their case that at Mallow General Hospital the pensioner was allegedly not tested properly and not screened appropriately in relation to blood clots and if she had been given blood thinners she may have survived.
Dr O'Mahony said it was a very sad death and Mrs Heneghan was a 'dearly loved wife, mother and grandmother.'
The settlement against the HSE is without an admission of liability.
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At the time of her death Mrs Henegan and her husband Philip had been married for 55 years.
In the proceedings it was claimed that when Mr Heneghan arrived at Mallow General Hospital on September 10th, he was given the news of his wife's death in a hospital lift by a nurse and he nearly passed out with shock.
Philip Heneghan (83), of Mallow, Co Cork, sued the HSE over his wife's death.
Mrs Heneghan, who had been complaining of shortness of breath and had a swelling on her leg, was seen at Mallow General Hospital and kept in overnight on September 9th, 2020.
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It was claimed there was no assessment of Mrs Heneghan in relation to the probability of a blood clot by the admitting medical team at the hospital.
It was also alleged that if there had been such an assessment it would have become apparent there was a moderate to high risk of the pensioner developing a blood clot.
Mrs Heneghan would have survived if the medical team had considered pulmonary embolism as a possible diagnosis, it was claimed.
It was also claimed that a breathless patient presenting to a hospital emergency department needs to have a blood clot considered as part of the differential diagnosis, and there was allegedly no documentation that this was considered a possibility in Mrs Heneghan's case.
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It was further claimed that there was a failure to deliver a reasonable and safe standard of care and a failure to assess for the possibility of a blood clot, and Mrs Heneghan had allegedly been deprived of the chance of survival.
It was contended that the news of his wife's sudden death had been delivered unprofessionally, causing Mr Henegan profound shock and distress.
All of the claims were denied.
Noting the settlement, Mr Justice Paul Coffey conveyed his deepest sympathy to Mr Heneghan and the wider family.

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