Family of Aoife Johnston settle action against HSE

The family of teenager Aoife Johnston, who died at University Hospital Limerick two years ago after waiting hours for treatment, has settled a High Court action against the HSE.

The terms of the settlement are confidential.

16-year-old Aoife Johnston died on 19 December 2022, from meningitis two days after going to hospital with symptoms of sepsis.

It later emerged she had been left waiting 13 hours before being given antibiotics despite a GP referral letter querying possible sepsis.

In an action against the HSE, Aoife's family claimed there was a failure to have enough staff in the emergency department, leading to delays and that her death had been hastened by a failure to treat her as seriously ill until she seriously deteriorated the following morning.

Carol and James Johnston had sued the HSE on behalf of their family over the death of their daughter. There were also claims for nervous shock as a result of the teenager's death.

It was alleged there was a delay in carrying out triage, along with failure to have her seen by a doctor until the following morning at 6am and a further delay to administer the advised medication.

It was also alleged there was a failure to recognise the common features of meningococcal sepsis such as calf pain and stiffness and blotchy skin.

The only aspect that needed to be addressed by the court was the division of the statutory mental distress payment known as solatium.

Senior Counsel Johnathan Kilfeather said the family had agreed an approach and the grandparents had waived their claim in relation to a share of the solatium.

The details of the full settlement which is confidential also includes a claim for nervous shock.

Last month a report into the death of Ms Johnston found her death was almost certainly avoidable.

That report, carried out by former Chief Justice Frank Clarke, found that doctors and nurses at the Emergency Department were unaware of her sepsis risk, and because of overcrowding she was sent to the wrong section of the ED where sepsis forms were not kept or filled out.