Investigation

Introduction

Given the serious issues which were presenting, I commenced an investigation into the complaint, under Section 4(2) of the Ombudsman Act 1980.

I wrote to the HSE on 6 July 2006 and set out the Statement of Complaint as follows:

• the results of a Lung Function Test, taken in December 2004, in Merlin Park Hospital, Galway were not conveyed immediately to the patient's Consultant, in Mayo General Hospital, even though the results showed gross abnormalities,
• when the results were received in Mayo General Hospital, they were not seen by the patient's Consultant, but simply placed in a designated "postal slot" for his attention, and
• the results were not brought to the Consultant's attention until after the patient's death.

The patient died 4 days later.

Subsequently,

• Mayo General Hospital sent an appointment letter to its former patient in April 2005, 4 months after she had passed away and
• even though an explanation and an apology was offered for the April 2005 incident, the Health Service Executive sent an "Application for Renewal of Medical Card" form to its former patient in October 2005, 10 months after she had died.