The family of a woman who died just hours after giving birth at St Luke’s Hospital say the HSE has put them through hell.
36-year-old Tracey Campbell Fitzpatrick, who was originally from Mayo but living in Carlow, died in the early hours of Easter Monday, on the 28th of March 2016.
The HSE and the local hospital have apologised in court for the failings in Tracy’s care and admitted liability in the case.
A settlement of over €735,000 has been awarded.
Speaking to RTE News her father says it took a long time for the hospital and the health services to admit the truth.
James Campbell said: “Today, the HSE and St Luke’s Hospital have finally admitted the truth of how Tracey died unnecessarily in St Luke’s Hospital, Kilkenny on the 28th March 2016.
“Tracey died as a result of a massive post-partum haemorrhage that was neglected and mismanaged by the staff members in charge of her care who failed to recognise her developing condition and failed to take appropriate action in a timely manner to prevent her unnecessary death.
“This will not bring our Tracey back to us but at least we have uncovered the truth. We owe the truth to Tracey’s sons, Jamie and Max, to her grieving husband Bernard, to us, Tracey’s parents and her siblings, but most of all to the memory of a fantastic mother, wife, daughter and sister.
“The HSE and the hospital have put us through hell for the past five years in our fight for this truth. They have denied the truth, defended the indefensible and delayed the progress of our legal battle every step of the way until finally they were faced with overwhelming evidence they could defend no longer. The truth is all that matters now.
“It is our hope that the HSE have learned from the horrendous failings in Tracey’s care, to ensure greater patient safety in the Irish maternity services.”
“The sincerity of an apology can be measured by the willingness to express it, the length of time it takes to decide to give it and the manner in which it is delivered.
“What we got today was a more reluctant admission of wrongdoing disguised as an apology.”
