Limerick mother whose daughter died at UHL tells Prime Time 'I'm heartbroken'

THE MOTHER of 16-year-old Niamh McNally from Bruff who died on January 29, 2024 in University Hospital Limerick (UHL) told Prime Time that “it shouldn’t have happened, they should have listened to me, parents always know best for their child.” 

Niamh died six days after being discharged from hospital after a two-week stay, when she had been treated for a collapsed lung and pneumonia and had been coughing up blood. 

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An inquest at Limerick Coroner’s Court heard that a known congenital heart defect was not taken into account and that a full cardiology assessment was not carried out, which Niamh’s mother Carolyn O’Neill said could have saved her life. 

She described her daughter on Prime Time with presenter Miriam O’Callaghan, who interviewed Mrs O’Neill in her home as being a “lovely girl, very quiet, full of energy.”

Mrs O’Neill said on Prime Time that the verdict of medical misadventure did not give her any closure and that “something has to be done” about UHL, adding that “it’s not good enough.” 

The inquest into Niamh’s death opened with an unreserved apology from HSE Mid-West and following the Prime Time broadcast last night (Thursday, December 4), HSE Mid-West have issued a statement. 

The statement expresses sincere sympathy to Carolyn O’Neill and all of Niamh’s extended family. 

“Their loss is immeasurable and we deeply regret the failures in care that led to Niamh’s death. We are constantly working to improve patient outcomes and we regret that in Niamh’s case our standards fell short.”

The statement says that hospital staff work tirelessly to care for patients and that following an external review into Niamh’s care at UHL, several recommendations have been put in place. 

HSE Mid-West said that on average, more than 300 patients attend the UHL emergency department every day and that patient experience times have reduced in 2025. 

The statement said that since January 2020, 236 new beds have opened at UHL, staffing has grown by 53% and safer staffing in the ED and on medical and surgical wards has been implemented. 

As well as this, the statement said that additional consultants are on duty at weekends and bank holidays. 

The statement finishes by saying: “We await a Government decision and the detail the minister will take to cabinet this month on the options set out by HIQA for building capacity and improving access.”