'I do firmly believe that if Aoife was in a different hospital, she would have survived'

The father of the late Aoife Johnston has said he "lost the plot" while watching his daughter deteriorate and make wailing sounds in the ED at UHL. 

In December 2022, the 16-year-old from Shannon died after waiting nearly 14 hours for treatment at the Emergency Department of University Hospital Limerick.

She presented with suspected sepsis and passed away after a delay in receiving medical care. A recently published report into the incident has confirmed that her death was “almost certainly avoidable.”

Aoife's mother and father, Carol and James, spoke out about the devastating loss of their daughter on RTÉ's Prime Time on Thursday night with Carol saying she firmly believes that if Aoife was in a different hospital, she would have survived that night.

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Speaking about the night Aoife was admitted to UHL, her father, James Johnston said: “There's not a day that goes by that I don't blame myself for not doing more later on during the night, and just... I just didn't think she was going to die. Like, I really. I just. If I had. If I had known, I would have torn the place apart, but I just didn't. Just didn't think like, that she was going to die on us. I really didn't.”

The official report into Aoife’s death highlights significant delays in care at University Hospital Limerick, where Aoife waited nearly 14 hours in the Emergency Department before receiving any form of treatment for suspected sepsis.

James said they were going in and out to the staff begging for help all night. "It came to a point that we were arguing amongst ourselves that I was going you go out next Carol. " They felt like they were "bothering" the staff outside.

Aoife first became ill at home and James took her to be seen by Shannondoc, their local after-hours GP service. James said the doctor told him: 'I don't know what your next move is but I recommend you go straight into the hospital in Limerick with Aoife.'

Carol added that she looked at the referral letter and spotted the words viral septicemia. "It did raise flags."

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Carol described their experience in the ED in UHL on that day. “The only thing I could say Miriam is the night was basically nurses coming in and out to Aoife, her temperature was continuing to stay high, her skin was pure blotchy and still vomiting. Nothing like had changed and she had been put on a drip. I think it was for paracetamol and for fluids and nothing was working, like nothing was changing." She said they felt Aoife was the sickest in the area they were in.

Aoife wasn't seen by a doctor until six in the morning and James explained he lost the plot and started shouting for staff to help his daughter before "they started getting a move on."

Aoife’s parents told presenter Miriam O’Callaghan about the family's ongoing grief and the impact their daughter’s death has had on the family and the wider community.

Speaking about the loss of Aoife, her mother Carol said: “When Aoife died, a part of us, we definitely died with Aoife. Our life has totally changed for the worst, definitely. I can't see, I don't see happy days coming... We try and just take each day, Miriam, as it comes, but it's very sad. It's lonely. It's different. It's quiet.”

She remarked that they find it very difficult to look at pictures or videos of Aoife.

James added: "We just can't even go into her bedroom, like her bedroom door has just been locked since she's passed." They celebrated Aoife's 18^th birthday in the graveyard with all her friends, letting off balloons.

In their interview with RTÉ Prime Time, her parents reflected on their fight for justice for Aoife. “I know from the report and from any other investigations, a lot of it goes back to overcrowding. I suppose as Aoife's parents, it's very hard to accept that as the answer, that's why Aoife died for overcrowding," said Carol.

She added that nothing new came from the Frank Clarke report. "We had expected a lot more from that report, a lot more findings of accountability."

The family's lawyer Damien Tansey said Aoife died needlessly. "Had an antibiotic been administered within a timely fashion, we wouldn't be here today."

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He continued: "It's a catastrophic event for the people of the Mid West region and they need to know what happened. They need a report that produces a worthwhile result, a worthwhile outcome that is valid and informative. They haven't got that yet."

"I'm sure the HSE didn't plan this tragedy and I'm sure they're doing their utmost to ensure it doesn't happen again but until they find out what will be revealed at the end of a statutory enquiry they are in the dark.

Watch Prime Time on the RTÉ Player.