10/10/2013

'Failure To Provide Basic Care' In Savita Case

A report into the death of Savita Halappanavar and related issues, found there was a failure to provide the most basic elements of care.

Mrs Halappanavar, 31, died in a hospital in Ireland in October 2012.

Halappanavar was 17-weeks pregnant when she was admitted to hospital. She had asked for a termination after being told she was having a miscarriage, but staff refused to carry out her request.

She died days later from an infection.

On Wednesday, a 257-age report by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) was published, and it found that there were a number of missed opportunities in the case, which, if acted upon, might have changed the outcome for Mrs Halappanavar.

It also said clinical care in Ireland's 19 public maternity hospitals and units vary widely.

In addition, it said there is no nationally agreed definition of maternal sepsis, as well as an inconsistent recording of it on a national level, with no centralised approach to reporting maternal morbidity and mortality. As a result, the report said it is impossible to adequately assess the performance and quality of maternity services across the nation.

With regards to Mrs Halappanavar, the report stated that there was a failure to recognise she was developing an infection, plus a failure to act on her worsening condition. It also found that University Hospital Galway did not have effective arrangements to record and monitor her condition on a regular basis, while the management of the delivery of maternity services was not consistent with best practices.

The HIQA also made recommendations for improving the care of clinically deteriorating pregnant women.

The report was conducted after it was asked by Ireland's Health Service Executive to investigate the safety, quality and standards of services provided at University Hospital Galway.

(JP/CD)

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