Urology Service Public Inquiry: Chair wants to hear from witnesses as soon as possible

The Chair of the Public Inquiry into Urology Services in the Southern Trust says she would like to hear from witnesses as soon as possible.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Christine Smith QC says she is honoured to have been asked by Health Minister Robin Swann to chair the Inquiry which opens next week.

“I am delighted to be able to work with Dr Sonia Swart as the Inquiry Panel Member and Mr Damian Hanbury as the expert Urology Assessor.

“Since Minister Swann announced my appointment in March, work has been ongoing to appoint the Inquiry team, find suitable premises and to settle the Terms of Reference for the Inquiry.

“I am acutely conscious that while the Inquiry is tasked with looking at issues of systems and governance, there are a number of former patients of Mr O’Brien and their families who have been impacted by the care that they received and who are deeply interested in the Inquiry’s work.

“The Inquiry will, in accordance with paragraph (d) of the Terms of Reference, give those who wish to engage with it the opportunity to report their experiences. It will not be compulsory for any former patient or their families to engage with the Inquiry and many may prefer not to do so. The Inquiry wishes to hear from all those who do want to have their voices heard and processes will be devised to allow that to happen. I recognise that this will be a distressing time for some, particularly patients and families that have been impacted, and I wish to assure anyone who engages with our work that we will treat everyone sensitively.

“The clinical practice of Mr O’Brien is being investigated by the General Medical Council (GMC) and this Inquiry will not encroach on the remit of the GMC in this regard. We will work within the published Terms of Reference for our work.

“I want to stress that the Inquiry is an independent body and the matters that it is tasked to consider will be investigated thoroughly and impartially by myself and the entire Inquiry team.

“I am sure that all who are affected by the decision to set up the Inquiry are anxious to see it start its work. While preparatory work has been ongoing there are still things to be achieved before any public hearings of the Inquiry can begin. The Inquiry will make every effort to put processes in place and to carry out our investigations quickly and thoroughly so that we can begin to hear from witnesses as soon as possible.

In keeping with other public inquiries conducted in NI in recent years, I am determined that our work will be transparent and open.”

-

-

Four arrests after man stabbed in Portadown during mass brawl in People’s Park Read full story here-

-

Editor’s Message:

Thank you for reading this article. We’re more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by Coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

Please consider purchasing a copy of the paper. You can also support trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription of the News Letter.

Related topics: