Death of woman after 7-hour ER wait ‘not caused by negligence,’ N.S. health authority says | 24CA News
The Nova Scotia Health Authority is requesting {that a} lawsuit over the demise of a affected person late final 12 months be dismissed, saying her demise was not on account of negligence on its half.
The household of Allison Holthoff filed the civil lawsuit final month, alleging the well being authority was negligent in failing to fulfill requirements of care.
It additionally names the attending emergency room doctor as a defendant.
Holthoff, a 37-year-old mom of three, died on the Cumberland Regional Health Care Centre emergency room on New Year’s Eve following a seven-hour await care.
The lawsuit stated she reported “extreme pain in the upper left side of her abdomen, laboured breathing and nausea” and died from an untreated splenic artery aneurysm.
It claimed her husband, Gunter, repeatedly raised issues about Holthoff’s situation however she remained “largely unattended.”
The lawsuit seeks unspecified particular, pecuniary and non-pecuniary damages. The allegations haven’t been confirmed in court docket.
According to a discover of defence filed Feb. 28, the Nova Scotia Health Authority stated any damage, loss or harm sustained by the plaintiff “was not caused by negligence” on the a part of the well being authority, or anybody for whom they’re accountable.
“(NSHA) says that any care provided by them to Allison Holthoff was provided reasonably, appropriately and in a manner consistent with the applicable standard of care in the circumstances,” it stated.
The discover of defence stated the well being authority “specifically denies” allegations in a single part of the lawsuit, which claims the defendant, in addition to its brokers and staff, breached their obligation of care by:
- Failing to conduct applicable testing in a well timed method, and/or missed necessary findings on testing;
- Failing to adequately triage Holthoff;
- Failing to rule out attainable diagnoses that posed a severe danger to Holthoff;
- Failing to replace or change Holthoff’s triage rating as her situation declined;
- Failing to convey Holthoff’s “urgent and distressed state” to a doctor’s consideration;
- Failing to fulfill the usual of care in supervising and monitoring Holthoff and her signs.
The discover of defence didn’t supply an alternate timeline of occasions of the night time Holthoff died.
“The Defendant Health Authority puts the Plaintiff to the strict proof of damages,” it stated, and requested the motion be dismissed with prices.
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