Northern Ireland

Coroner scathing of failings after finding Co Armagh man's heart attack death could have been prevented

Co Armagh man Denis Doran who died of a heart attack
Co Armagh man Denis Doran who died of a heart attack Co Armagh man Denis Doran who died of a heart attack

THE family of a Co Armagh man whose death was preventable say their lives have been "ripped apart" by the tragedy.

Denis Doran (57), who was known as Denny and was from Lurgan, died from a heart attack in November 2016, two months after he was discharged from hospital after a locum consultant misdiagnosed him with a hernia.

At an inquest yesterday, a coroner was scathing of the Southern health trust's "completely unacceptable" appointment of the agency locum - who had no interview or induction - and was also highly critical of a waiting list for a hospital chest pain clinic.

Coroner Paddy McGurgan concluded that had Mr Doran been seen at the 'rapid access' clinic at Craigavon Area Hospital within its two-week target, the outcome may have been different.

Instead, the father-of-two spent 11 weeks on a waiting list during which time he died.

Mr McGurgan also noted that it was "pot luck" as to whether a patient is seen by a locum consultant or a permanent staff doctor and said he intended to write to the Department of Health about serious flaws in the appointment process.

Delivering his findings as Mr Doran's widow, Yvonne, wept in Laganside Courthouse in Belfast, the coroner said his death could have been prevented if the correct diagnosis had been made.

Mr McGurgan also expressed "alarm" that 13 patients had died while on a waiting list for the specialist chest pain clinic - six of which were heart-related - and said he wanted the trust to urgently review the matter.

Speaking after yesterday's hearing, Jayne Doran (28) said the inquest's findings had "vindicated" her family in their "fight" to get answers from the health service.

"My dad was my absolute best friend in the world... I've lost myself since he died," she said.

"My daddy took such good care of my mum, he was her full-time carer. When I say our lives have been ripped apart that is an understatement.

"To lose him so suddenly was devastating but it was made worse by the Southern health trust. We find it appalling that a locum could just walk in and hand over his CV without any checks.

"We've had an apology from the doctor and we're grateful for that but no apology from the trust over the past two years. We realise that the doctor should never have been put in this position... they let my daddy down."

The locum doctor who gave the wrong diagnosis, Dr Mohammod Asaduzzeman (44), met with Mrs Doran earlier this week and gave her a personal apology.

Mrs Doran, who sufffers from mobility problems, told The Irish News she was "lost" without her husband and criticised the trust's handling of the case.

"We had to beg the Southern trust for a Serious Adverse Incident report into his death, there are still lots of unanswered questions," she said.

The trust last night issued an apology to the Doran family for "failings in Denis's care and treatment".

“We extend our deepest sympathies to the Doran family," a spokesman said.

"Along with our own internal investigations, we have fully participated in this inquest process and accept the coroner's findings.

"We will review the coroner's written findings when completed."

Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for the Department of Health said it will await correspondence from the coroner and give it "full consideration".

"We are very sorry that the family has lost a loved one in such distressing and disturbing circumstances," she added.