I thank the Minister of State at the Department of Education for taking the time to deal with this debate. I want to discuss a case involving a Dublin hospital which illustrates a shortcoming in the treatment of a child with salmonella and a lack of clear procedures for parents of young patients who have a grievance. If the proper procedures were in place, I would not be required to raise this matter in the Dáil.
This case involves a 20-month-old child who, over an eight-day period in June, went through a traumatic series of events which began on a Friday when the GP sent the child to the hospital with suspected gastro-enteritis. The child was not admitted, although it was unable to give a urine sample or to drink water. There was no change on Saturday. On Sunday the child appeared listless, was rushed back to hospital but was not admitted, became sick on the way home and, on the advice of the GP, was immediately rushed back to hospital where treatment was administered. Although a cot was available, the hospital advised the parents to take the child home again because it would not be available the following day. There was no change on Monday and on Tuesday the GP wrote another letter to the hospital asking for the child to be admitted. A new doctor who was on duty said the results of the tests were not ready and sent the child home again.
On Wednesday blood was found in the child's stools. The GP sent the child back into hospital but the treatment the parents and child received was careless and arrogant with the blood the child was excreting being likened to nothing more than a nose bleed. The child was admitted into isolation as salmonella was suspected. The parents were not told what the problem was, although they overheard salmonella being mentioned. On Thursday morning blood was found on two nappies. Even then the doctor said the child was not sick but was in pain and would be miserable — that sounds like a sick child to me. The child was put in a new ward with no curtains although the family were in the VHI. On Friday the child drank and ate a little but two hours after saying it should be kept in isolation, the doctors said the child should go home.
It is no wonder these parents feel aggrieved at the treatment they received. It is important that lessons are learned from this case so that such trauma does not occur again. Procedures must be put in place to alleviate parents' anxiety and to ensure proper communication between the GP and the hospital. It is clear that writing letters was not the appropriate communication in this case. A system must be put in place so that official complaints can be made to Eastern Health Board hospitals and other hospitals. The doctor should realise the problem is serious if a child is not drinking water. Sending a child home does not comply with proper medical practice.
