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ESCAPED PRISONER DEREK Brockwell has been transferred to a prison in England.
He was released from the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast today and taken to Her Majesty’s Prison in Frankland.
There, he will serve the remainder of his several life sentences for armed robbery.
Three people were arrested yesterday in connection with his escape from custody last month.
A man and woman aged in their early 60s were detained in County Meath and a man in his mid-30s was arrested in Portlaoise. It is understood the third man is currently a prisoner. All three were released without charge.
Brockwell (53), a UK national, had been serving a seven-year sentence at Portlaoise prison for robbery and possession of firearms.
He escaped last month, stabbing two prison officers while being brought to Tallaght Hospital. He fled the area on a waiting motorbike.
An eyewitness who saw the dangerous and violent criminal escape from Tallaght Hospital told TheJournal.ie that one prison officer had “blood dripping down his hands” after the incident.
He remained at large for over 24 hours, before being tasered and captured in Belfast. He stabbed himself in the stomach as police approached.
He was taken to hospital where he was treated since 18 February.
Same happened to my wife on our second child. They believed she miscarried but it turns out luckily when they checked that there was a heart beat. The conclusion they drew is she is a half twin & the other twin miscarried. I unsure of that but my 9 year old is here with us today & only one word can describe her. Everything.
The same thing happened to us in Saudi. They mixed up some hormone test results or misinterpreted them altogether. To make matters worse the doctor didn’t tell my wife directly but sent a message through a nurse. One week later we came to the hospital to have it sorted and then they found the heartbeat. It was astounding and we immediately changed the hospital. It was not the first time though. In Bahrain some idiot read the blood report to my wife in week 4 telling her she had rubella. We had a brilliant doctor but whenever she wasn’t around things like that happened. After she was back they clarified they she was positive on rubella antibodies. Some effin difference.
To be told the baby you are carryîng is dead must be a living nightmare for a expectant woman
It’s not great news for dads too
I wonder what sort of doctor told that woman “I’m sorry, but we can’t detect a heartbeat’”.
Was it a “real” doctor or another type of doctor?
I bled throughout my pregnancy and had to be admitted and checked out a few times . I had numerous scans. Eventually my baby stopped growing so I was kept in and was being scanned at least weekly by the consultant himself. My baby’s heartbeat was dangerously lots of times and eventually at 37 weeks they decided to induce me but once labour started I had to be rushed for am emergency c section as the baby’s heartbeat plummeted . The doctor told me my baby would be rushed to ICU and the consultant would discuss the possibly of my child having heart issues. Well I had the c section my son was born alive and was taken to special care . He was breathing fine apparently and his heart had become stable . He did though have Down Syndrome which my consultant missed despite scanning me several times personally . My son still did have to be rushed off to Crumlin with stomach and bowel issues that were also missed and in Crumlin they didn’t even check out his heart because his heart sounds were perfect. The consultant met us outside our appointment with the pediatrican to apologise for missing the Down syndrome . At that point we had more urgent matters but I’m still annoyed were never got the chance to prepare and had to deal with so much directly after the birth. Simple things like arranging childcare for the other kids and time off work would have been possible if we had known beforehand . I try not to dwell as he is a lazy ass teenager who likes his bed too much on school mornings and p,Aus music too loudly nowadays . So things turned out perfectly fine :)
I’m nearly 30 wks pregnant & was recently in a car crash. Due to the huge shock the baby didn’t move for a long time & I feared the worst.
The ambulance didn’t have a Doppler machine ( that checks the baby’s heartbeat) so I had to wait another hour to see my local doctor… I can’t describe the feeling of hearing that little heartbeat.. It was the best sound xx
I was then admitted to cumh for a scan to check for internal damage but had to wait 7 HOURS to be scanned as there was only 1 doctor on duty, she kept being called up to wards and theatre.
It’s frightening how short staffed our hospitals are, my heart goes out to the overworked doctors and nurses.
Thankfully all is well with me & we are looking forward to celebrating Christmas.
Article said it was her GP…. If it was, it’s disgraceful… Actually it’s disgraceful either way. This poor family had started the tragic mourning process of a loved one they never got to meet, it is like torture to mourn such a death. I’m happy a heartbeat was found before it was too late, but it is highly unfair that they had to go through all of this.
As its not us carrying the baby i guess i would be thinking of the mother more. Sorry does that seem selfish?
At twelve weeks I started heavily bleeding, I rushed to hospital and was told my baby probably wouldn’t make it, I was put on bed rest and scanned every day, four days later I was told the baby was barely hanging on in there and to prepare for the worst, I was devastated! In my case there was a very real threat of losing her…….today her name is Sarah and she’s just turned five, I call her my Christmas miracle for obvious reasons!
Brilliant my girl is also Sarah.
Why do you call her your Christmas miracle?
Dope
What is with this country and children?!?
Its a kip run by failed school teachers who couldn’t organise their own $h!te
I realise there are problems in the health system, but very few of the medical staff are former teachers.
He said Country not Health system. The 62 red thumbs for John and 260 for Skin Flint is what is wrong with this country. They voted in the hooligans running it.
In fairness, misdiagnosing foetal heartbeat is not rare, primarily because it’s difficult. That’s why the second scans and second opinions.
Contrary to what people seem to think, a lot of medicine is educated guesswork and techniques developed from long experience over the past centuries. Why do you think it takes so long to train doctors? If diagnosis was always obvious, a four year degree and a table of symptoms would be sufficient. Instead, a bit of everything related has to be taught, to give the ability to make educated guesses.
George you are exactly correct. Contrary to how this article has been presented, this shows the system works. The problem with the fact that it has led to a review is a huge issue. Instead of congratulating the unit for good quality control, they are now being punished with bad media. As you stated, no diagnosis or treatment is correct all of the time.
Thankfully a sensible comment. I had a “missed” miscarriage at 11 weeks – this was after spending the previous 5 weeks in hospital with hyperemesis. I had a D&C a few days later. If the scan before it had indicated my baby was alive, I would have been ecstatic…not on the radio sharing my story as though it were negative. There was an error here in that another member of staff should have assessed the mother at the time but I don’t see how this is in anyway related to the medical misadventure regarding baby Mary Kate Kelly reported earlier in the week which was a disgrace & a tremendous loss for her parents.
Would rather walk to dublin in my bare feet to find a decent maternity hospital than have a child in Midlands hospital. Far too many things happen to mothers and babies in that place! The health system in this country is laughable!
It’s terrible and yet fantastic news at the same time. But seriously, does everyone expect this stuff to be 100% reliable? 2nd opinions used to be normal routine but all of a sudden it is more important to get yourself on Prime time. I have no doubt the medical staff of the hse are doing their best and that best is pretty good
I think the main issue outlined is that the initial doctor/nurse made a 100% diagnosis after the first scan, where if the process is not 100% accurate, why would you make a diagnosis until the second scan?
At 9 weeks I had scan and all was well. 2 weeks later 23dec I had another sadly no heartbeat. So I can personally tell you from experience that for any pregnant mother its a baby . I saw heartbeat and a baby on the scan . . Went to hospital last year Christmas day and its the most horrendous thing in the world and I would not wish it on my worst enemy .
I’m so sorry for your loss. I can’t imagine what you have had to go through, my heart’s broken for you.
I’m so sorry for your loss, it’s a very hard situation to deal with. I know. xx
Just watched the segment on Prime Time. Christ alive, that is horrifying and absolutely shameful of the hospital. Don’t expect anything to be done by €3 Varadkar though. The health ministry is a complete farce.
Health service in this country is in the grave.
Amen
“Health” service.
Nothing healthy about it.
Same thing happened to me in a Dublin maternity hospital when I was expecting our first baby many years ago. So very thankful that he was born full term and healthy but will never forget the anguish of that week when we were told we’d lost him.
The maternity section of the Midlands Hospital should be closed down immediately.
It is truly not fit for purpose.
The HSE has the power to close down restaurants that are unclean. where the worse thing that could happen is that you could get a dose of the trots.
If a hospital is not working properly someone can die!!
“The maternity sections of the midland hospitals should close down”! Where should expectant mothers who live in the midlands go then to deliver their babies? Overcrowded hospitals in Dublin or Galway by the sounds of your ideas.
Mary Lyons, are you related to Brian Cowen by any chance?
Better an hour drive than losing your baby which has happened a couple of times in this hospital.
I am listening to a lady this moment on the news talking about her baby dying there 3 years ago, Nobody has ever been sanctioned . She has also said that 3 other babies had died prior to her son in similar circumstances. Is that a good enough reason?????
Hurler what has that got to do with anything????
Why close down a maternity unit that caters for close on 100,000 people because of cutbacks and some poorly performing staff? Would it not be better to improve services for those 100,000 people than force them to travel longer distances?
HSE seems to get worse as the week’s go by
HSE simply not fit for purpose. We’re little more than a banana republic and a second rate one at that.
I would literally die myself if a doctor told me my baby died !! Serious negligence hear !! I’m no doctor but surely in doctor school learning to read someone’s heart beat is the first thing on the do list !
Happened to a friend od mine. Some junior nurse told her wrongly. She has lovely twins whom are 4 this week
If you’re gonna use “whom” then at least use it correctly. You should have said “the twins who”.
Go back to sleep, you turkey!
And “literally”.
Apologies, December is a stressful time for my friends and me.
Hang on, we’re regularly told in this comment section (and in opinion pieces) that a baby in the womb is “not a baby” and “not a child” and “is not alive”. So how could “her child” ever be “still alive”?? This seems rather selective
I guess you are missing the point Silver in this case the lady wanted the child?
So explain that one to me Kerry. If a child is not wanted, then its not a child or alive, but if its wanted its alive and is a baby?…..Sorry but that makes no sense whatsoever. Its a life either way is my opinion, just because its “not wanted” doesn’t change that fact.
Factual Frankie stole my thoughts there. The criteria for life are things like; metabolism, homeostasis, response to stimuli. To make “being wanted” the sole criteria is absurd
Kerry , that doesn’t make sense !
It’s funny how some commenting will stick the boot into “€3 Leo” over this yet expect him to sanction taxpayers money for an all out abortion-on-demand service.
The hypocrisy stinks.
Back on topic – what the hell is going on in Portlaoise GH and it’s maternity department. Blunder after blunder these past few years? Is it a hangover from Cowen’s strokes in diverting investment away to his local Tullamore GH during his stint in power? I seem to recall reading about protests in Portlaoise a few years back over this carry-on.
It comes as no surprise the above misdiagnoses considering in the UK due to NHS screw-up that hundreds of women may have aborted perfectly healthy babies. After all isn’t it claimed we are following the UK’s footsteps. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/nhs/10420026/Hundreds-of-women-may-have-aborted-healthy-babies-after-NHS-blunder.html
Any of the staunch defenders of abortion care to explain this inconsistency? I know you’re out there!
Or are we to take Kerry’s proposition; that being wanted by your mother makes you alive and makes you a different type of organism
If it’s the latter, suppose a woman changes her mind several times about an abortion, as many do. Does the organism in her womb oscillate between life and non-life, between being a baby and a foetus as her moods shift?
This has nothing to do with abortion. Its a serious issue about the massive underfunding in our maternity services and the impact on patients. Don’t use this as a soapbox.
TheLoneHurler stuck in the 20th Century as usual. Nothing about abortion in the article at all but bring it up never the less. We just need Finbarr to come along now and talk about educate together schools.
Yes it would be terrible to take one person’s misfortune and use it to make a point about abortion *cough* Savita Hallappanavar *cough*
So Maggie do you think this is a baby? Is it alive? Or are the article, mother and doctors wrong? She’s 14 weeks pregnant, by the way
Yes it does have to do with abortion, the pro abotionists would have had this baby slaughtered
So not wanted = not human, not a child. Etc.
I see nothing’s changed lately.
Just wondering how many of the above had babies in portlaoise?
Wel I actually did have a baby in that hospital with complication and they were BRILLIANT actually amazing.
This story is horrendous and it was a very big thing to get wrong but I would have to agree with you I had 2 babies there my last been just 7 months ago and I cudnt recommend the staff up there highly enough. I was in a few times on both my pregnancies and got the best care possible.
My niece is a midwife 4 years finished top of her class left for Australia 9 months ago because in her words the pressure they are now put under is putting patients and their babies at risk
I am a triplet and when my mother was scanned she was told by a Harley Street doctor that ” one baby was fine , one had a 50/50 chance of survival and that I had no chance at all”!! Fortunately for me he was wrong and I am still alive and kicking!!
I was in the admissions part of portlaoise maternity when I was 36 weeks pregnant. I had fallen down the stairs at work and they were admitting me for observation and x Rays. A woman and her husband were distraught and waiting for a scan. At her appointment the previous day she had been told that the baby she was carrying had stopped growing 5 weeks previously and it would die. She was told to come back the next week. A midwife found them both crying and arranged for them to be seen the next day instead. It turned out that the doctor had been given the wrong chart for the woman that was being scanned and that the woman she was scanning was 29 weeks when the doctor thought she should be 34 weeks. The baby was fine and the parents were relieved. I spent 26 nights in hospital during my pregnancy (only one night on this occasion with the stairs) and I saw how understaffed they are. The doctors never got to change their clothes never mind sleep. Mistakes are going to happen. When I was admitted the labour the midwife who admitted me told me she was leaving in a few months to retrain as a physio as it was dangerously understaffed. One night she had been the only midwife the the ward with 30 something women and 20 something babies as the rest of the staff were needed to deliver babies. Once I was left waiting 12 hours for a drug from the pharmacy because they didn’t have the staff to send down to get it. They are serving a huge area and need more staff.
I am sure when Leo concentrates his mind on his brief instead of pontificating on IW the HSE will be improved………I wish
Wife told at 7 weeks she had miscarried 3 weeks later she collapsed 3 hrs before we were getting on a plane, turns out baby was a ectopic pregnancy missed by the hospital. Rushed to hospital with a ruptured tube. Doctor told us had she got on the plane , she would have bleed to death before we got down.
She should have had a routine blood test or even done a pregnancy test about a week after to ensure the pregnancy was definitely lost. Her hormone levels would have indicated an ectopic pregnancy- very surprising she wasn’t told to do this..
Sara on our first 2 miscarriages they did, i actually said to my wife after 2 weeks , strange that they didnt bring you back in for a blood test, never expected this to happen , hospital brought us in for a meeting with the master , they couldnt apologise enough , they were terrified we were going to sue but we decided against as it. Funny thing is 1 year later we were told she had miscarried again but when they seen her file they brought us up for more tests did a internal scan and low and behold the little girl in the picture arrived 8 months later ,actually got a picture of my daughter as a 2 cell black dot from the scan
Had a similar experience there twice, one baby they told me I was carrying turned out to be my uterus when a second opinion was gotten in a Dublin hospital, the second time I was told I was not even pregnant with my now 4 year old daughter!
The political agenda is to close the maternity services in Port Laois. They under resource with personnel and technology then await adverse events. Women go elsewhere to have their babies and then the service closes cause not enough babies are being born their. That is not the answer as Dublin maternity services are bulging at the seams and already far too busy!! Great little country in which to be a woman!!!
That sounds about right
Silver Planet has an interesting point though..
I’m blushing here
I fail to see why this story is getting so much media exposure?!! The end result is positive. It was a mistake. Every profession makes mistakes.
I’m surprised at the journal heading in the direction of rte and the indo scaring people with exaggerated headlines, causing mistrust of the health system acc it’s professionals, this is likely to be against the good of the people and only serves media owners. Let’s remember medicine is an inexact science, the person who was responsible for the prognosis on this scan may have performed to the best available data or indeed could have been negligent, we don’t know, but today’s media convicts without the facts regardless of the long term impact on all involved, can you imagine where this is driving health system costs which were all pay for and worse where it drives morale in our important health workers. Media take full responsibility and stop fooling the people.
Frank, I’ve visited a number of Irish A&E’s in the country in the last 20 years, and every time it’s been a horror show. Our health system is a joke. The service is simply not fit for use. I’m delighted that the media are getting on their backs because it might just push for actual improvement of the system.
so you believe we will fix the health system, motivate its workers, by sensationalising the wrongs in it, I don’t believe so. It is time we stopped this rot, every minister for health finishes his term damaged, this is crazy, we need to create a positive community atmosphere where we support the redevelopment of the health service, we need to focus on fixing where the real problems are, there is too great a disparity between the bottom earners and the top earners, no person should be able to earn five times more than the lowest earners and our staff wages should be comparable to other countries of similar size and economy. Then we need a program to re-engage the vocation which has surely been lost in an over litigious, over bureaucratic system
I know couple who were told they’re baby would be a still born to bring whatever clothes they were going to bury it in when it was to be delivered that child is now 2 years of age walking around as healthy as can be.
Yet another pointless article which is more about public lynching of our healthcare staff rather than trying to provide them with the support that they are in desperate need of. Mistakes are a result of the critically low levels of resources that Irish hospitals are coping with. Trainee doctors still working in excess of 24 hours trying to handle situations without adequate senior support, because most senior well trained doctors have left the country for safer working conditions. Early pregnancy is notoriously difficult and this is why scans are generally repeated to ensure diagnosis is correct…as happened in this case. The real story is that the majority of cases are accurately diagnosed, well managed and complication free despite the long hours, sleep deprivation, under-staffing and lack of support that Ireland’s healthcare staff are given. They do this despite the threat of having their names/pictures plastered over the national newspapers if they ever make a mistake. We don’t treat some of our worst criminals like this.
I’ll never understand why people bring children to scans. Yeah we all hope it’s just routine and all good news but sadly there can be a chance that it won’t be. I understand people get excited and want to share it with their other children but it’s a very difficult thing to explain to a child when something tragic like this happens and very upsetting for them which in sure makes it even harder for the parents. Show them the scan pictures sure but I don’t think it’s any place for children.
Part of the problem in Irish hospitals are the outdated scanning machines. Go to a private clinic for a scan and the differences are obvious. On my last pregnancy a routine scan that should have taken 10-15 minutes took over half an hour because the sonographer was having trouble reading the measurements. People are only as good as the equipment they are given to work with. Its not surprising mistakes are made.
I have 5 children and they were all born in portlaoise hospital i cant fault them in anyway they were all fantastic..my eldest is 19 and youngest is 4..i also lost my baby at 21 weeks 8 years ago and the care myself and my husband got was great
Got a scan at the Beacon for our second child and told the same thing and that we should expect a miscarriage over the next 10 days or look into other options, lowest point of my life, went to our consultant for a chat as we had an appointment a few days later, who took a scan and said that it was one of the strongest heart beats that he had ever seen at that age, it’s far from just the midlands having issues with such things
My wife recently gave birth to our first child and neither of us even knew she was pregnant, and what’s more of a miracle the baby came out black as a coconut….we can’t get our heads around it, a real miracle baby considering we are both milky white
In fairness – it’s Portlaoise you cannot expect too much. They know how to fix tractors and potato crops wouldn’t go into medical stuff in there.
Medicine is dependant on the current state of medical globally. Criticising a hospital for stuff this is like criticising your local garage for not having flying cars yet.
The incompetence and scandal’s in our health system know no bounds!
Why do pro life hijack every baby story it’s not an abortion story leave it alone
When you are told that your baby has died in the womb – you are in shock and hope beyond hope that the diagnosis is wrong. See the dedication Christmas tree from Families who have lost a child http://www.alittlelifetime.ie/xmas14/?u=363#u363 and please don’t say to a family who have lost a child that they’ll ‘have another’ without thinking which of your children would you give up?
Should we really be shocked at the above misdiagnoses considering in the UK it is reckoned that many women have aborted perfectly healthy babies due to outdated equipment? http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/nhs/10420026/Hundreds-of-women-may-have-aborted-healthy-babies-after-NHS-blunder.html
2 weeks ago I was told that I had misscarried as the sac collapsed. I was devastated as we have been trying for 1 year. I stopped taking progesterone and folic acid and resorted to normal life behaviour again. I became very sick and nauseated and thought the pregnancy was having problems letting go. Eventually I asked for another scan 2 weeks later only to find a heartbeat and a baby fighting for survival. I’m still so worried over the dangers over the past 2 weeks. I’m 8 weeks pregnant today and praying that everything will be ok regardless.
Hello every body my name is maria. from USA Thanks to Dr. Akkata for helping me get pregnant after 8 years of marriage with my husband Garry without no child. We have been to several hospital for checkup and the doctors keep telling us that nothing is wrong with us. so my friend at my work place linked me with this great spell caster Dr. Ogul who helped me to get pregnant…. now am a happy mother of a baby boy, and i am also pregnant now to have another baby. thanks to you Dr.Ogul… i am shearing this testimony to tell Dr. Ogul thanks!!!! for what he did for me and my husband by getting pregnant with is powerful spell. and assist in saving my marriage and also bring joy and happiness to my family.I want to use this medium to tell other women out there who is having pregnancy issues not to wait for years like i did. Because the solution of your problem is right there with Dr. Ogul so email him so that he can help you. I am so happy!! if you also need help to get pregnant or need your ex back please contact Dr. Ogul for help. he can also help you with your own problem today..there is no harm in trying. he will surely make your dreams come trough.Email[doctorogul@gmail.com] OR CALL +393511298302
In England, Diagnosis of miscarriage must be confirmed by a consultant. Not sure why it is not in Dublin.
http://www.scan4d.co.uk/
Doctors are open to human error same as the rest if us
Hello every body my name is maria. from USA Thanks to Dr. Akkata for helping me get pregnant after 8 years of marriage with my husband Garry without no child. We have been to several hospital for checkup and the doctors keep telling us that nothing is wrong with us. so my friend at my work place linked me with this great spell caster Dr. Ogul who helped me to get pregnant…. now am a happy mother of a baby boy, and i am also pregnant now to have another baby. thanks to you Dr.Ogul… i am shearing this testimony to tell Dr. Ogul thanks!!!! for what he did for me and my husband by getting pregnant with is powerful spell. and assist in saving my marriage and also bring joy and happiness to my family.I want to use this medium to tell other women out there who is having pregnancy issues not to wait for years like i did. Because the solution of your problem is right there with Dr. Ogul so email him so that he can help you. I am so happy!! if you also need help to get pregnant or need your ex back please contact Dr. Ogul for help. he can also help you with your own problem today..there is no harm in trying. he will surely make your dreams come trough.Email[doctorogul@gmail.com] OR CALL +393511298302
xdddddddddd
Same thing occurred to me in a Boston when I was anticipating our first child many decades ago. So very grateful that he was created complete phrase and healthier but will never ignore the discomfort of that 7 days when we were informed we’d missing him. http://www.tipsforpregnantwomen.com/
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