News

Lord Brodie held a meeting with legal representatives of core participants this morning to explain the procedures and focus of our first diet of hearings in September.

These hearings will run for five weeks and will give affected patients and families the opportunity to share their experience of the issues that impacted them at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow, and the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People and the Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Edinburgh. 

It is anticipated that the hearings will focus on both the physical and emotional impact on patients and parents of children.

Counsel to the Inquiry, Alastair Duncan QC, explained that the majority of those we will hear from in September are likely to speak about their experience at the QEUH, and we expect to explore the impact of infections and possible links to environmental organisms, and how this affected care and health.

The Inquiry will also be asking affected patients and families to speak about their perception of the amenities available, especially for those who had to be moved to other wards.

In addition, the Inquiry will explore the effect the delayed move to the RHCYP/DCN had on patients and family members and will ask for their thoughts on the communication around the delayed move.

The Inquiry has published a number of directions and protocols this month, detailing how the hearings will proceed. This includes a direction on opening statements for the September hearings and Standard of Proof that the Chair will adopt when considering evidence. Details of these and other directions and protocols can be found here.  

 Lord Brodie continues to encourage an open and collaborative approach and will be consulting with core participants’ legal representatives on a Hearings Protocol.