Report says overcrowding and lack of clarity contributed to death of Aoife Johnston

A report into the death of Aoife Johnston at University Hospital Limerick has stated her death was “almost certainly avoidable”.

Ms Johnston, 16, from Co Clare, died on December 19th 2022, after suffering from meningitis-related sepsis and was left for more than 16 hours without antibiotics.

The report by former chief Justice Frank Clarke into Ms Johnston’s death, published on Friday, said the on the night Ms Johnston was admitted to hospital, the emergency department was “under unusually severe pressure.”

The report states “This investigation arises out of the tragic death of a sixteen-year-old girl in circumstances which, on the basis of all of the medical evidence, were almost certainly avoidable.”

Ms Johnston was triaged as a category two patient, meaning she should have been seen by a treating clinician in 10 minutes.

“Having regard to the number of patients who were triaged in category two on the occasion in question and the number of doctors available, there was no…

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