Courts / Limerick / Report

UHL took 18 months to apologise to disabled patient who alleged staff cracked jokes during personal care

Date
2025-07-10

Stage
Hearing Or Decision

Primary locality
Limerick

Summary

In a tribunal hearing, the University Hospital Limerick (UHL) was found to have taken more than 18 months to apologise to Michael O'Dowd, a disabled patient who alleged that staff laughed at him and made jokes during personal care. O'Dowd, who used a lightwriter to speak, claimed that a nurse and two healthcare assistants made jokes about him on 7 June 2022, that staff failed to listen to his requests, and that he was almost dropped from a wheelchair after 12 days of bed rest. He first complained on 7 July 2022, and the hospital's Patient Advocacy Liaison Service was involved, but he did not receive an investigation report or apology until 16 January 2024. The Workplace Relations Commission ruled that O'Dowd was out of time to pursue a discrimination complaint and that there was no breach of the act regarding the delay.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: UHL took 18 months to apologise to disabled patient who alleged staff cracked jokes during personal care. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision

When: