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can a death cert be changed?

  • 09-11-2013 11:47pm
    #1
    shadowgirl
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 60 ✭✭


    my mam died of complications of MRSA/VRE a few years back.

    at the time i asked the doc to write the above on her death cert and he said he would, then came back the next day and said his seniors wouldn't allow him to do that.
    i was so angry as i felt they were covering up the fact that my mam had MRSA/VRE.

    it ended up with my mam having an autopsy and when we got the death cert it said my mam died of bronchopneumonia and no mention of mrse/vre.

    i tried fighting it but i was wore down my the years of looking after my mam and the grief of losing her in such a horrible way.

    recently i was speaking to someone whose family member died of c.diff and they told me her death cert mentioned c.diff.

    apparently the law has changed and if someone dies of complications of Mrsa etc then that's what has to be put on the death cert.

    so my question is, with this new law in place, can i have my mothers death cert changed?


Comments

  • #2
    banie01
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,294 ✭✭✭✭banie01


    The advice you were givenpreviously here http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056791090 still stands.
    You could chat to the County Coroner and ask their advice.
    I'm assuming given the time passed since your loss and the fact there was an autopsy that an inquest has already been held?
    The Coroners office would be a good starting point to assess how to go about getting the Death certificate changed, but while I am by no means certain I think in the case of a Coroner recorded death a new inquest is required but as I said a solicitor or the Coroner's office will offer the best advice.

    As an aside, you have been chasing this MRSA amendment to the death cert for 6yrs or more now.
    I know how important it is to you that if someone is to blame, that they are held accountable but surely in this time you have sought more credible legal advice on the matter than posting on the internet?
    What advice have you received from professionals?

    MRSA can and indeed does cause pneumonia and on a death cert it is generally the actual mode of death is what is recorded i.e Broncho-pneumonia.
    Rather than the specific infection or bacillus that caused that infection.

    A crude analogy would be someone killed in a car accident.
    The death certificate would record the type of fatal injury i.e massive blunt force trauma.
    Rather than the fact the injury was inflicted by an Audi.

    Again I'm sorry for your loss and I hope that you find the answer you need.
    But you need professional legal advice from a solicitor with good experience of medical matters but even then I think you will find it hard to have the cert changed as it is technically correct in a broad sense.
    Even an amendment including the contributing MRSA infection might go some way towards giving you closure but as a basis for a negligence claim it would be very shaky to say the least.


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