A woman whose medical consultant husband died in a Dublin hospital has settled her High Court action against another consultant and two hospitals over his care and treatment.
The settlement, made without admission of liability, is confidential. As part of it, a statement of regret was read in court on behalf of the defendants in the case to Meraid Hyland-McGuire on the death of her husband Patrick.
Among various claims, Mrs Hyland-McGuire alleged a failure to act appropriately in response to an electrocardiogram (ECG) carried out on the 58-year-old at St Vincent’s Private Hospital, Dublin, indicating he had had a heart attack. Had there been an appropriate response, he would probably have survived, she claimed.
Ms Hyland-McGuire, of Stonebridge Road, Rathmichael, Co Dublin, brought proceedings against Prof Des Winter, a general/laparoscopic and gastrointestinal surgeon attached to St Vincent’s Private Hospital (SVPH), Merrion Road, Dublin 4 and St Vincent’s University Hospital (SVUH), and also against bothhospitals, arising from her husband’s death on July 29th, 2016. The case also included a claim for nervous shock.
In separate defences, the defendants denied his death was caused or contributed to by any wrongdoing, negligence, breach of duty or breach of agreement on their part.
The case opened on Tuesday but, on its fourth day on Friday, Mr Justice Kevin Cross was told by Denis McCullough SC, with Declan Doyle SC, instructed by Gillian O’Connor of Michael Boylan Litigation, for the plaintiff, it had settled without admission of liability.
The statement of regret said: “On behalf of all the defendants we express our since regret to Mrs Hyland-McGuire on the death of her husband Mr Patrick Hyland-McGuire on the 29th July 2016. We acknowledge the continuing distress and sadness caused to Mrs Hyland-McGuire by the loss of her husband. We again offer our since condolences to Mrs Hyland-McGuire.”
