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Sligo General Hospital

Date released: 08.07.2005

The Ombudsman, Ms Emily O'Reilly, has today published her investigation report into a complaint which she received from the members of a family, whose father died in January, 2000, two days after he had been admitted to Sligo General Hospital.

The report, which may be viewed on the Ombudsman website, deals with two issues of concern to the Ombudsman and to the family 1) shortcomings in the standard of care and attention that the hospital afforded to the patient, and 2) the inadequate manner in which the hospital dealt with the family's subsequent complaint in relation to the standard of care and attention.

The Ombudsman is very keen to ensure that patients in public hospitals are treated with dignity, respect and sensitivity, and that complaints from patients or their families are handled in a proper, fair and understanding manner. This report provides answers to many of the questions raised by the family following the death of their father while in hospital care, and criticises the manner in which the hospital dealt with their subsequent complaint.

The report contains a series of recommendations, all of which were accepted by the hospital and the North Western Health Board, aimed at improving standards of care and the procedures for dealing with complaints in the hospital.

A point often made by complainants is that hospitals should learn from their past mistakes so as to ensure that other families do not experience similar problems. It is in this context that the Ombudsman decided to publish this report, so that it will be available to the public, in general, and to the newly formed Health Service Executive, in particular. The Ombudsman hopes that the issues raised and lessons learned will be taken on board by the wider public hospital system.

For further information contact: Michael Brophy , Office of the Ombudsman, 18 Lower Leeson Street, Dublin 2. Tel:- (01)6395639, e-mail: michael_brophy@ombudsman.gov.ie or Patsy Fitzsimons, Tel:- (01) 6395637, e-mail: Patsy_Fitzsimons@ombudsman.gov.ie

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