‘I said I had a headache every day’: Hospital apologises for Mayo woman’s brain tumour diagnosis delays
A woman from County Mayo has settled a High Court case against the HSE after a hospital apologized for diagnostic delays that prevented earlier treatment of her brain tumor. The patient expressed that the apology came too late to significantly improve her terminal prognosis.
Why it matters
The case highlights critical failures in medical diagnostic processes and the emotional impact of healthcare negligence on patients.
A hospital has apologised in court for “the deficiencies in care” to a woman on two occasions, which led to a delay in the diagnosis of her brain tumour.
Mary Keane (49), who was suffering from severe headaches, had two brain MRI scans at University Hospital Galway in 2013 and 2016, but it was claimed these were misreported, the High Court heard on Thursday. The woman was not diagnosed with a brain tumour until she had another MRI scan in 2023.
Jonathan Kilfeather, counsel for Keane, instructed by solicitor Damien Tansey, told the court Keane could have had surgery had the brain tumour been spotted in 2013 and 2016. He said she would still have a terminal cancer diagnosis, but her life would have been extended by five years.
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