Nurse unaware of patient’s earlier attempt to leave hospital, inquest hears

Mr Rowland spent 42 hours in the emergency department, before being transferred in the early hours of January 17, 2023.

Mr Browne recalled how the patient’s son left the ward at 12.40am. He said the patient approached him at the nurses’ desk at around 1am.

Wearing slippers and pyjamas, he said he was not sleepy and wanted to walk. Mr Browne asked about his oxygen needs, and he replied: “There’s all night for that.” The nurse asked him not to go too far and he agreed. 

Mr Browne said there was ‘no obvious cause for concern’ then

Mr Browne agreed with Roger Murray, solicitor and partner with Callan Tansey Solicitors acting for the family, that “a lot of information” was not shared during the transfer.

The nurse said that he “would have regarded [Mr Rowland] as high risk” in discussion with Luan O’ Braonáin SC, acting for Mayo University Hospital.

Mr Browne said he was “very surprised and confused” to get a call from the patient’s son, Cormac, within minutes.

He learned the patient had phoned Cormac from outside a nearby hotel, despite temperatures being between -2C and -4C.

Mr Rowland was being treated for pneumonia, was on antibiotics for sepsis, was a diabetic, and he had a history of cardiac conditions.

The court heard from clinical nurse manager two Jonsa Jose that there were between 50 and 60 patients in the emergency department, under four nurses, on the evening of January 16.

She recalled Mr Rowland came to the nurses’ desk at around 9.30pm. He was, she said, “very annoyed and angry” at the delays.

“He asked me to remove the cannula so he could go home,” she said.

He only agreed to return to his trolley when she reassured him beds would be available

The court also heard from security guard John Joyce that, shortly before this interaction, Mr Rowland was intercepted trying to leave the hospital. He said he took the pensioner to the nurse’s desk.

Mr Rowland’s body was taken from the river in Castlebar two days later.

Evidence has now concluded and a verdict will be recorded on July 22, coroner for the district of Mayo Patrick O’ Connor said. He is not considering “a verdict of self-inflicted death”, nor was this sought by the hospital.