State inquiry into Aoife Johnston's death 'time sensitive' due to father's terminal cancer
The late Aoife Johnston from Co Clare died on December 19, 2022, after suffering from meningitis-related sepsis and was left for more than 16 hours without antibiotics — a vital treatment to help save her life. File picture: David Raleigh
Holding a state inquiry into the death of Aoife Johnston is “time sensitive” in the face of her father’s terminal cancer, the family’s solicitor has said after they met the health minister on Thursday.
The Johnstons have now agreed to submit a list of shortcomings they identified in a report on the teenager’s death at University Hospital Limerick to minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill.
Ms Johnston died in December 2022 at University Hospital Limerick, aged just 16. A report by former chief justice Frank Clarke found this was “almost certainly avoidable”. However, the report did not find individuals accountable.
James, who has publicly spoken of his cancer treatment, and Carol Johnston met the minister and HSE CEO Bernard Gloster in Dublin.
Family solicitor Damien Tansey described the day as productive, and said both officials were “attentive” and aware of the family’s concerns.
“We have undertaken to supply [the minister] with a detailed and comprehensive list of the shortcomings in the Clarke report, we are going to do that in very quick time,” he said.
There was some discussion, he said, about past inquiries in Ireland which took many years to conclude.
"It's not a great history," he said, adding: "It's not beyond the bounds of what the State can do to put a strict time limit on the structure."
He added: “It’s a work in progress, but the family are satisfied that she is sufficiently animated about this tragedy.”
He acknowledged disciplinary proceedings continue against some UHL staff.
The family also discussed their call for an inquiry with the HSE boss.
“Bernard Gloster said he will not stand in the way of an inquiry if that’s what the minister decides,” Mr Tansey said.
The meetings came on a day when UHL had 103 patients on trolleys.
This compared with 310 people on trolleys around the country, as counted by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation on Thursday.
HSE data showed 19 had been waiting longer than 24 hours by Thursday morning at UHL — including one person aged over 75 years.
