Trust facing calls for new swine flu enquiry

This newspaper can also publish today, for the first time, details of a Department of Health report carried out into the death of Orla O’Kane, who died at Altnagelvin Hospital of swine flu in October 2009.

And the internal Western Trust audit report obtained by the Sentinel shows that the Chief Executive’s Office had not received vital guidance from Northern Ireland Chief Nursing Officer, Martin Bradley in May 2009.

The Trust’s auditors said that checks showed the Chief Executive was on the list of recipients to whom the email was sent.

The internal audit report says other senior staff within the Trust were also sent the email containing the guidance which included details of what would be expected of community nurses.

It added: “The guidance was circulated within pharmacy, however there is no evidence of further distribution to other relevant staff such as community nurses. It was also noted that this CNO letter was not received in the Chief Executive’s Office, although the review of recipients as detailed on the e-mail issued by the DHSS&PS highlighted that it was sent to the Chief Executive.

“It should also be noted that the e-mail was also issued to those officers within the Trust to whom the Chief Executive was required to cascade the circular... The issuing of the circular to all relevant officers within the Trust negates the potential that a circular is overlooked. However there is a risk that action at the highest level of management will not take place if the Chief Executive is unaware of the guidance. There is no evidence that all necessary action was taken to fully implement this guidance.”

A statement from the Trust said last night: “Any suggestion that the advice in the letter dated 6th May 2009 from the Chief Nursing Officer was not passed on to the relevant staff, is entirely wrong.

“Indeed on the 6 and 7 June 2011 the Trust provided clear evidence to the Sentinel that it implemented in a timely manner the advice provided by the CNO. The advice contained in the letter was cascaded to community nursing staff and was posted on the Trust’s internal intranet in May 2009.

“Most importantly there is absolutely no link between the issuing of the letter of 6th May 2009 and the untimely death of Orla O’Kane.”

In 2009 two children died in Londonderry and today the Sentinel can also publish details of the investigaton into the death of one of them - Orla O’Kane.

The Sentinel contacted Sally Ann O’Kane, Orla’s mother who said she wanted an investigation to find out answers to questions posed in the Trust’s internal audit: “I would just be devastated. We were told there was no protocol in place, but it appears that there was.

“I have been very tearful having learned this. I want a full independent inquiry into this, not just for my sake, but for everyone who lost someone to swine flu.”

Orla is survived by her parents Kevin and Sally Ann and her siblings, Natasha, Kealan and Gavin and the pain of her loss is still evident.

“Orla was the life and soul of our house. She couldn’t walk or talk, but she ruled our home. She brought such love into our house. Our lives are filled with emptiness because she isn’t there anymore. I’m sure it’s like that for everyone, but time dosen’t heal.

“She went out of here every day and got a kiss from everyone including my two big grown up sons.

“I want an independent inquiry into this because it appears there was a window of opportunity to test Orla when she began to take ill and when the school said she wasn’t well either.”

Orla’s former principal, Dr Michael Dobbins of Foyle View school has added his voice to the call for a fresh inquiry.

He said both the family of Orla O’Kane and her classmate Ashleigh Lynch who also passed away as a result of swine flu in October, 2009, deserved a “full explanation.”

And, SDLP MLA for the city, Pat Ramsey, who liaised heavily with the O’Kane family at the time of Orla’s death has also backed calls for a revision of the events leading to her death.”

In response to the Sentinel’s report, a statement from the Western Health and Social Care Trust said: “Any suggestion that the advice in the letter dated 6th May 2009 from the Chief Nursing Officer was not passed on to the relevant staff, is entirely wrong.

“Indeed on the 6 and 7 June 2011 the Trust provided clear evidence to the Sentinel that it implemented in a timely manner the advice provided by the CNO. The advice contained in the letter was cascaded to community nursing staff and was posted on the Trust’s internal intranet in May 2009.

“Most importantly there is absolutely no link between the issuing of the letter of 6th May 2009 and the untimely death of Orla O’Kane.”

The Trust also accused the Sentinel of giving the O’Kane family false information, which the Sentinel would deny.