The High Court has been told that the HSE should apologise for errors in care at birth that resulted in a young girl suffering from dyskinetic cerebral palsy.
Grace Orchard from Carrigaline in County Cork was born on 23rd February at St Finbarr´s Maternity Hospital in Cork shortly after her mother – Deidre O´Callaghan – had been given syntocinon to help bring on contractions.
According to the evidence presented at the High Court, the drug had been administered inappropriately and, as a consequence, it took four attempts to deliver Grace – including one using a vacuum cup – before she was eventually delivered with the use of forceps.
Due to the trauma she had endured, Grace had to be resuscitated after her delivery, and her face, head and forehead were badly bruised due to the force that had been used. Grace was subsequently diagnosed with dyskinetic cerebral palsy was attributed at the High Court to “appalling poor handling” during her birth.
Through her mother Grace (now seven years of age) claimed compensation for errors in care at her birth against St Finbarr´s Hospital and the Health Service Executive (HSE). The HSE admitted liability for Grace´s injuries just two weeks before a schedule court hearing was due to commence.
At the High Court, Mr Justice Daniel Herbert was told that the claim for errors in care at birth was before him to be assessed for the level of damages that should be awarded to Grace. Judge Herbert was told by Grace´s counsel that the circumstances of her birth were tragic and that the HSE were yet to apologise for the injuries she had suffered.
The Court also heard that Grace´s family had done everything they could for her after she was born – including taking her to a specialist centre in New York for physiotherapy – and that Grace had been accepted into mainstream school where she was in the first class, but the services available to her at the school are being reduced due to cut-backs.