HSE apology to family of Danny Norris who died after being 'badly let down' by the HSE

The HSE chief Bernard Gloster, has apologised to the families of two children who died after being "badly let down when they most needed care of support". 

Mr Gloster extended his apologies to the families of Fiadh O'Connor from Co Wexford and Danny Norris from Co Waterford, who passed after battling cancer.

Fiadh died in April 2023 at the age of four and Danny died in December 2022 on the border between Tipperary and Waterford, at the age of seven.

Now, the HSE has announced that specialist services will provide care to terminally ill children in the South-East, which will correct an “inequity” that caused “extreme heartbreak” in the past.

This comes after the families of Fiadh and Danny, publicly pleaded for these services to become available in the region.

CEO of the HSE, Bernard Gloster, said: “I want to apologise to the families of Fiadh O’ Connor from Co Wexford and Danny Norris from Co. Waterford, who we failed and who could not avail of these services. They were badly let down when they most needed care and support. Having met with them it is clear we still have so much to learn about supporting families particularly when life-limiting illness reaches that crucial stage.”

Mr Gloster added: “I want to thank both families for their generosity in sharing their experiences with me. There is no doubt that were it not for their courage and advocacy in their trauma other children may well have had the same challenges in the future. It is so regrettable that they had to endure this experience when they were already suffering immeasurable heartache and grief, for us to make the necessary changes to ensure no other child or family has to suffer due to lack of community palliative care services.”

The four specialist palliative care teams in the South-East are now providing care to terminally ill children as part of a multidisciplinary approach which ensures children can receive palliative care and die at home in line with the wishes of the family.

HSE Palliative nursing and medical staff in the area are now responding to and participating fully in the care of children who require palliative services correcting an inequity that prevailed for some time. 

Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly said: “I want to express my sincere sympathies to Danny Norris and Fiadh O’Connor’s families on their loss. It is not acceptable to me as Minister and as a parent to see the absence of paediatric palliative care services for any period of time, purely based on where you live. This added to the pain and suffering inflicted on the Norris and O’Connor families at the worst time imaginable.

“Even when resources are not an issue we clearly have so much to do to improve and bring fairness to families right across the country. Fiadh and Danny should never have had to have these experiences in their last stage of life, nor should their parents have had to fight for these essential services and I welcome the HSE's acknowledgement of that. More importantly that it is now corrected and guaranteed for any child or family in the South East who may need this support in the future.”

Palliative care for children and young people with life-limiting conditions is an active and total approach to care, from the point of diagnosis or recognition throughout the child’s life, death and beyond. It includes the management of distressing symptoms, provision of short breaks and care through death and bereavement.