News
Coroner: hospital CCTV could prevent deaths
The Coroner for West Galway has asked the head of UHG’s psychiatric unit to retain CCTV recordings for 48 hours – double what it is currently – following the absconding of a voluntary patient last summer.
The inquiry into the death of Raymond Walsh (40), formerly of Whitehall Close, Lower Abbeygate Street, heard that no CCTV cameras had been recording the activity around the unit – as per regulations imposed by the Mental Health Commission (MHC) – when he disappeared on August 4.
It took eight days to locate him, and it was footage recorded from a neighbouring building that led the search parties in the direction of St Mary’s College, where he was found on August 12.
“That may seem reasonable, as it might be considered invasive of someone’s privacy to be under the scrutiny of their carers,” Dr Ciaran MacLoughlin said.
“There was a real-time camera at the front door to enable staff to identify any potential troublemakers, but it didn’t record.”
He quoted three cases, where patients had left this unit and died from self-inflicted injuries, adding that it was in the public interest to resolve the CCTV issue.
He said the imposed restrictions were either “a glaring omission” by the MHC, or that the interpretation of them was wrong.
He sought clarification from John Meehan, the head of mental health services in the HSE West region, who attended the resumed hearing at Galway Courthouse last week, after it had been adjourned in April.
Mr Meehan had put the queries to the Mental Health Commission which responded to say that the guidelines had changed this year.
The letter stated: “The approved centre may use CCTV to monitor resident’s health and wellbeing.”
He said that at the time, cameras recorded the hospital’s entrances and exits, but that Mr Walsh had left via a fence in the psychiatric unit’s garden. Since his death, cameras record the perimeter the entrance to the unit – but the footage is wiped after 24 hours.
“Verbal feedback to staff was always that we couldn’t record – when the MHC visit they may say it [the current set-up] is not appropriate, but we went ahead anyway,” Mr Meehan said.
“We are interpreting the regulations by situating the cameras in areas that monitor health and wellbeing, and security. We have a new-build due to be completed at the end of this year, and there will be CCTV in situ.”
He added that the 24-hour loop recording was recommended by a security advisor, but he made a commitment to discuss the Coroner’s suggestions of doubling this period to 48 hours.
“I can’t see a problem with it, but I will check,” he said.
Dr MacLoughlin then returned a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence, that Raymond Walsh died on August 4 2015 from asphyxia due to hanging.
“I hope that in the manner in which he left the hospital – should it occur again with another patient that he or she will be seen and identified leaving the premises, and a search can be embarked on, to prevent something like this happening again,” he said.
“One of the functions of the inquest is to identify deficiencies in any systems, and make recommendations.”
Meanwhile, Cllr Pádraig Conneely was informed at this week’s HSE West Regional Health Forum that the security system had been upgraded by installing additional cameras on campus.
Cllr Conneely welcomed the news from Tony Canavan, Chief Officer of Saolta University Health Care Group, saying access to more camera footage would have been helpful to investigating Gardaí at the time.
There is an annual serivice and maintenance contract in place in relation to the CCTV system in UHG, which identifies faults, repairs or improvements required, said Mr Canavan.
Since January of this year, there had been six instances of repairs carried out to these cameras he added.
Significant state investment is required to address ‘shocking’ inequalities that leave cancer patients in the West at greater risk of succumbing to the disease.
A meeting of Regional Health Forum West heard that survival rates for breast, lung and colorectal cancers than the national average, and with the most deprived quintile of the population, the West’s residents faced poorer outcomes from a cancer diagnosis.
For breast cancer patients, the five-year survival rate was 80% in the West versus 85% nationally; for lung cancer patients it was 16.7% in the west against a 19.5% national survival rate; and in the West’s colorectal cancer patients, there was a 62.6% survival rate where the national average was 63.1%.
These startling statistics were provided in answer to a question from Ballinasloe-based Cllr Evelyn Parsons (Ind) who said it was yet another reminder that cancer treatment infrastructure in the West was in dire need of improvement.
“The situation is pretty stark. In the Western Regional Health Forum area, we have the highest incidence of deprivation and the highest health inequalities because of that – we have the highest incidences of cancer nationally because of that,” said Cllr Parsons, who is also a general practitioner.
In details provided by CEO of Saolta Health Care Group, which operates Galway’s hospitals, it was stated that a number of factors were impacting on patient outcomes.
Get the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.
On the eve of completing his 150th marathon, an odyssey that has taken him across 53 countries, Loughrea’s Marathon Man has announced that he is planning to hang up his running shoes.
But not before Jarlath Fitzgerald completes another ten races, making it 160 marathons on the occasion of his 60th birthday.
“I want to draw the line in 2026. I turn 57 in October and when I reach 60 it’s the finishing line. The longer races are taking it out of me. I did 20 miles there two weeks ago and didn’t feel good. It’s getting harder,” he reveals.
“I’ve arthritis in both hips and there’s wear and tear in the knees.”
We speak as he is about to head out for a run before his shift in Supervalu Loughrea. Despite his physical complaints, he still clocks up 30 miles every second week and generally runs four days a week.
Jarlath receives injections to his left hip to keep the pain at bay while running on the road.
To give his joints a break, during the winter he runs cross country and often does a five-mile trek around Kylebrack Wood.
He is planning on running his 150th marathon in Cork on June 4, where a group of 20 made up of work colleagues, friends and running mates from Loughrea Athletics Club will join him.
Some are doing the 10k, others are doing the half marathon, but all will be there on the finishing line to cheer him on in the phenomenal achievement.
Get the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.
From the Galway City Tribune – An impassioned plea for a ‘masterplan’ that would guide Galway City into the future has been made in the Dáil. Galway West TD Catherine Connolly stated this week that there needed to be an all-inclusive approach with “vision and leadership” in order to build a sustainable city.
Deputy Connolly spoke at length at the crisis surrounding traffic and housing in Galway city and said that not all of the blame could be laid at the door of the local authority.
She said that her preference would be the provision of light rail as the main form of public transport, but that this would have to be driven by the government.
“I sat on the local council for 17 years and despaired at all of the solutions going down one road, metaphorically and literally. In 2005 we put Park & Ride into the development plan, but that has not been rolled out. A 2016 transport strategy was outdated at the time and still has not been updated.
“Due to the housing crisis in the city, a task force was set up in 2019. Not a single report or analysis has been published on the cause of the crisis,” added Deputy Connolly.
She then referred to a report from the Land Development Agency (LDA) that identified lands suitable for the provision of housing. But she said that two-thirds of these had significant problems and a large portion was in Merlin Park University Hospital which, she said, would never have housing built on it.
In response, Minister Simon Harris spoke of the continuing job investment in the city and also in higher education, which is his portfolio.
But turning his attention to traffic congestion, he accepted that there were “real issues” when it came to transport, mobility and accessibility around Galway.
“We share the view that we need a Park & Ride facility and I understand there are also Bus Connects plans.
“I also suggest that the City Council reflect on her comments. I am proud to be in a Government that is providing unparalleled levels of investment to local authorities and unparalleled opportunities for local authorities to draw down,” he said.
Then Minister Harris referred to the controversial Galway City Outer Ring Road which he said was “struck down by An Bord Pleanála”, despite a lot of energy having been put into that project.
However, Deputy Connolly picked up on this and pointed out that An Bord Pleanála did not say ‘No’ to the ring road.
“The High Court said ‘No’ to the ring road because An Bord Pleanála acknowledged it failed utterly to consider climate change and our climate change obligations.
“That tells us something about An Bord Pleanála and the management that submitted such a plan.”
In the end, Minister Harris agreed that there needed to be a masterplan for Galway City.
“I suggest it is for the local authority to come up with a vision and then work with the Government to try to fund and implement that.”
Families queue up for school’s offer of free house
West has lower cancer survival rates than rest
Galway minors continue to lay waste to all opponents
Gardaí and IFA issue a joint appeal on summer road safety
Marathon Man plans to call a halt – but not before he hits 160 races
