Report highlights 25 ‘serious incidents’ in Galway hospitals

There were 25 ‘serious incidents’ at Galway’s three public hospitals last year in which patients died, or suffered serious harm, during procedures.

Some 16 of these serious incidents were in Galway University Hospitals (Merlin Park and UHG) and nine were in Portiuncula.

At GUH, nine serious incidents related to medical, five were perioperative, and two were related to the ‘women and children’ directorate. In Portiuncula, seven were related to medical, and two were in its women and children directorate.

The figures were contained in the 2015 annual report of the Saolta University Health Care Group.

It noted there were six ‘serious reportable events’ at GUH and five at Portiuncula.

There were some 4,085 ‘general incidents’ reported by the hospital, which includes patient safety occurrences that may have resulted in minimal or no harm to patients. There were 1,000 such incidents at Portiuncula.

These less serious incidents are recorded so the figures can be analysed and hospitals can prepare responses to falls prevention and sharps awareness.

The data shows there were 817 complaints at GUH in 2015, and there were 80 at Portiuncula.

“Those incidents that result in serious harm or the death of a patient are managed through the Serious Incident Management Team. During 2015, this team met monthly and provided oversight, support and guidance in the management of serious adverse incidents across all hospitals in the Saolta Group therefore ensuring that serious incidents were managed consistently and effectively across the group,” the annual report said.