INQUIRY ANNOUNCES BRISTOL LOCATION FOR PUBLIC HEARINGS

The Bristol Royal Infirmary Inquiry's public hearings will be held on the fifth floor of offices at 2-10 Temple Way in Bristol.

The Inquiry team is leasing three floors of the building in preparation for the start of public hearings on Tuesday, March 16.

The fifth floor has been converted into a specialist hearing chamber and there will be a variety of facilities for families and those attending public oral hearings.

The Inquiry team will also be moving to the offices in Temple Way before the start of the public hearings. Inquiry staff expect to be in the offices by the end of February.

ENDS

For further information please contact Richard Green, Press Officer, Bristol Royal Infirmary Inquiry, Wellington House, Waterloo Road, London, tel. 0171 972 4325.

Notes for editors: full details about how to contact the Inquiry team at the offices in Temple Way, Bristol, will be given in due course.

Thursday, February 4, 1999
BRI 99-04

DATE ANNOUNCED FOR START OF PUBLIC HEARINGS

The public hearings of the Bristol Royal Infirmary Inquiry to hear oral evidence will begin on Tuesday, March 16.

The Chairman, Professor Ian Kennedy, has today announced details of the six main blocks of evidence to be heard and the days and times when the Inquiry will sit during the first few weeks.

The Inquiry will be opened by parents giving accounts of their experiences - from their child's original referral through to post-surgery. Families will be called throughout the Inquiry to contribute to subsequent blocks of evidence.

The second block of evidence will look at the national scene - including evidence from the Department of Health, witnesses from the Supra-Regional services and possibly the Royal Colleges and professional organisations.

The third block will look at the Bristol services - including how they were set up and how the services were organised. Witnesses will include doctors and managers from the Bristol Royal Infirmary, past and present; and staff from the local and regional health authorities as necessary.

The Inquiry will then go on to look at the management of the care of the children - among the issues covered will be pre-operative care; surgery; post-operative care; post mortems; and dealings with parents.

The fifth block will look at the adequacy of the service - including staff training; informed consent; medical and clinical audit.

The final block of evidence covers concerns raised about surgery at the hospital between 1984 and 1995 and any failure to take appropriate action promptly.

The Inquiry's expert witnesses will be called throughout as necessary.

It is likely that these public oral hearings, which are phase one of the Inquiry and focus on services in Bristol, will last until the end of 1999. The Inquiry will also be taking written evidence.

The Inquiry will normally sit from Monday to Thursday during this phase. Mondays will run from 10.30am to 4.30pm, the other days will run from 9.30am to 2.15pm. A detailed breakdown of the public hearings for the first few weeks is attached.

The Inquiry's phase 2 will then look at the wider issues raised leading to recommendations for the benefit of the whole NHS.

ENDS

For further information please contact Richard Green, Press Officer, Bristol Royal Infirmary Inquiry, Wellington House, Waterloo Road, London, tel. 0171 972 4325.

 Notes for editors:Please find attached a list of hearing days from March to July:

There will then be no hearings for the next six weeks (commencing 26/7 to 30/8 inclusive).

Exceptionally, there may be hearings on other days.

The schedule for the Autumn will be published later in the year.

Thursday, February 4, 1999