Possible case with the HSE?
I’m not 100% saying I have a case here, but I’m just wondering would this be worth seeking a solicitor over this? I’m 18, and have been suffering with a UTI since August 2025. I’m type 1 diabetic, and we’re generally susceptible to urinary tract infections. Since I first got this infection, it hasn’t permanently went away. I’ve been on 9 different courses of antibiotics, and the symptoms have only been suppressed whilst on them, not permanently resolved as they come back 2-3 days later. I’ve been to A&E multiple times, I can’t even give a number on how many doctors visits, and it’s really taking a toll on my diabetes, and my mental health as it feels like I’m not being taken seriously here. An urgent referral was sent to my local urology department back in January, and all I received was a letter confirming my place on the list, so I rang the department in February to get a rough estimate on how long I’d be waiting, to which I was told 2 years due to it being marked as routine. In what world should that be classed as routine? A healthy young man shouldn’t be suffering with a chronic infection that won’t budge, so surely that’s not just ‘routine’? So today I had an appointment with my diabetic nurse, and we were discussing the infection and it being the probable cause of my increased insulin sensitivity/resistance, and she was saying she’s not happy with the level of care I’ve been receiving. Previously on both of my ED walk in visits at my local hospital, I was told there was no signs of infection but they’d send off the urine sample to the lab for a culture growth and that I’d receive a call in a few days if anything grew. Both times I never got a call from them, so I just assumed nothing grew (which is a typical outcome of an embedded UTI). But at my appointment today, the nurse looked into my previous culture results, and we found out that on both occasions there actually was bacterial growth in the samples but I was never contacted. After some research, I found out that this bacteria is quite dangerous when it travels outside of the gut where it usually resides. I’ll list out the information below.
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Klebsiella pneumoniae can be dangerous if they get into other parts of your body, especially if you're already sick. They can turn into "superbugs" that are very hard to fight with antibiotics.
Klebsiella bloodstream infections may kill 20% to 40% of those affected, and the death rate for people who are in an intensive care unit can be as high as 67%. (I was rushed to hospital in an ambulance in December 2025 with suspected Ureosepsis after a consultation with my GP)
You are at higher risk for a poor outcome if you have diabetes, or a weakened immune system.
UTIs caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae can be life-threatening, especially in people who have serious illnesses.
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On my last visit to the hospital when the doctor was asking me about my symptoms, I just felt belittled by the way he was talking to me, almost as if I was over exaggerating my symptoms, or that I was playing up on the mental impact this has had on me. Since day 1 I haven’t gotten a straight answer from anybody, it’s a constant feeling of being thrown from pilar to post. It’s honestly exhausting. On my way out of the ED, I asked him “What if the results come back negative, then what? I have an infection, there’s no denying it.”, and his exact words were “Well, maybe that’s just the result of too many antibiotics”. So not only have I never gotten a definitive answer from any healthcare professional, it’s nearly like he’s putting the blame on me because I’m taking the antibiotics that I’m constantly being given.
If anyone can give me advice on here on whether it’s worth seeking legal advice over this, that would be great.