Girl settles her action against HSE for 5.8m

Girl settles her action against HSE for 5.8m

Saturday, March 08, 2014

An 8-year-old girl with dyskinetic cerebral palsy after her birth at a Cork hospital has settled her action against the HSE for 5.8m.

By Ann OLoughlin

Ms Justice Mary Irvine was told that liability in Grace Orchards case was only conceded in January over three years after Graces parents had initiated proceedings in the case.

The judge said she regretted that it was not until this January that liability was conceded and it had taken over three years for the HSE to say it was culpable which the judge said seemed an extraordinary length of time.

Dr John OMahony SC said a letter of apology had been tendered to the Orchard family of Carrigaline, Co Cork, on the second day of the hearing.

Counsel read out the letter from Cork University Hospital CEO Tony McNamara in which he unreservedly apologised on behalf of the HSE to Grace and her family for the injuries she sustained during her delivery at St Finbarrs Hospital, Cork, in February 2006, and that the treatment did not reach our high standard on this occasion.

Grace Orchard, of Ferndale, Carrigaline, Co Cork, had through her mother Deirdre OCallaghan sued the HSE over the handling and management of her birth at St Finbarrs Maternity Hospital, Douglas, Cork, in February 2006.

Grace, it was clamed, suffered a severe trauma during the delivery and suffered considerable distress, pain and damage as a result of which she is left with dyskinetic cerebral palsy.

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Girl settles her action against HSE for 5.8m