News Releases
March 1999
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News ReleasesMarch 1999Contents Previous Releases:
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EXPERT GROUP MEMBERS APPOINTED TO ASSIST INQUIRY A national Group of 35 Experts has been appointed to assist the Bristol Royal Infirmary Inquiry. The Group covers 14 different areas of expertise ranging from paediatric cardiac surgery to NHS finance and management and statistics. Professor Kennedy said: "The areas represented by the Expert Group reflect the breadth of the issues which we will be examining. We are not just concerned with areas of clinical expertise, such as surgery, but also with education, training, audit, management, finance and statistics." He said: "The Group will give the Inquiry access to particular focussed areas of expertise. This will complement the expertise we already have on the panel through Professor Sir Brian Jarman and Rebecca Howard." Individual members of the Group will be the Inquiry’s Experts rather than acting for any individual or organisation. They will give their opinions in the wider public interest and all the formal evidence from the Expert Group will be published. It is the first time at a Public Inquiry that Expert evidence has been used in this way – moving away from the model used in trials where such evidence is presented in an adversarial setting. Experts assisting the Bristol Royal Infirmary Inquiry will normally give written opinions. They may also attend oral hearings and provide background information to the Inquiry’s legal team. Other experts may be added to the Group as necessary by the Inquiry team. The list of Experts published today covers the following areas of expertise: Paediatric Cardiology Paediatric Cardiac Surgery Paediatric Cardiac Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Paediatric Pathology General Paediatrics Nursing: General Paediatrics Nursing: Paediatric Intensive Care Medical Education and Training Medical and Clinical Audit Regulation of the Medical Profession NHS Finance in the 1980s and 1990s NHS Management in the 1980s and 1990s
ENDS Notes for editors: A full list of the current membership of the Inquiry’s Expert Group is attached for information. March 31, 1999 CURRENT MEMBERSHIP OF THE EXPERT GROUP (3/99)
This is not a final list; experts will be added to each of the categories as necessary. March 1999 INQUIRY HEARINGS BREAK FOR EASTER The Bristol Royal Infirmary Inquiry has completed its first three weeks of public hearings, taking oral evidence from more than 20 witnesses including parents and representatives of national professional groups. The Inquiry will not be holding public hearings during the weeks commencing Monday, April 5 and Monday, April 12. The Inquiry has recently started to hear block two evidence from professional groups setting the national scene during the years 1984 -1995. The Inquiry is running to schedule and the next public hearings will begin in the week starting Monday, April 19, when the block two evidence will continue from the medical Royal Colleges and other professional organisations. During the Easter break the Inquiry team will also be distributing to legal representatives the first batch of documents which are to be used in evidence over the coming weeks. There will be more than 15,000 pages of evidence from the United Bristol Healthcare NHS Trust, Department of Health and Welsh Office. Legal representatives will be asked to sign strict undertakings not to publicise any documents in advance of their publication by the Inquiry. The documents will be distributed on compact discs. They include correspondence, minutes, notes and reports, much of which will not be produced publicly in evidence for several weeks and in some cases several months. Bristol Royal Infirmary Inquiry Chairman Professor Ian Kennedy said: "It is, of course, right that everyone should be able to see all of the evidence. When we reach the appropriate stages we will, therefore, publish everything which the legal representatives received in advance." The Inquiry team will continue to publish evidence as it is called during the public hearings. The daily transcripts of the public hearings appear each evening on the Inquiry’s internet website. Any documents which become public during the oral hearings will appear on the website within 24 hours. Witness statements will also be published when all of the relevant supporting documents are available. ENDS Notes for editors: the oral hearings are held on the fifth floor of offices at 2-10 Temple Way in Bristol. Photographic or recording equipment – either audio or visual – is not permitted in the Inquiry chamber or precincts on the fifth floor. The Inquiry normally sits from Monday to Thursday. Mondays start at 10.30am and the other days begin at 9.30am. The Inquiry does not sit on Fridays. For further information please contact Richard Green, Head of Communications, tel. 0117 938 8709. For urgent out of hours media calls please contact the duty press officer on pager 0181 345 6789 and ask for INQ 102. The Inquiry website is www.bristol-inquiry.org.uk/ March 30, 1999 NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVES TO GIVE EVIDENCE TO THE INQUIRY Block Two of evidence to the BRI Inquiry continues next week with oral hearings taking place on Monday and Tuesday. Representatives from professional organisations will be coming to the Bristol Inquiry offices to describe the national scene during the period of the Inquiry’s terms of reference (1984-1995). On Monday March 29 the proceedings will begin with evidence from Dr Susan Jones, President of the Association of Paediatric Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland (APA) followed by Dr Paul Lawler, President of the Intensive Care Society. On Tuesday March 30 the Inquiry will hear from Professor Kirk Alberti, President of the Royal College of Physicians and two representatives from the English National Board of Nursing, Rita Le-Var and Jane Marr. ENDS Notes for editors: the oral hearings are held on the fifth floor of offices at 2-10 Temple Way in Bristol. Photographic or recording equipment – either audio or visual – is not permitted in the Inquiry chamber or precincts on the fifth floor. The Inquiry normally sits from Monday to Thursday. Mondays start at 10.30am and the other days begin at 9.30am. The Inquiry does not sit on Fridays. For further information please contact Becky Jarvis, Media Relations Manager, tel. 0117 938 8716. March 26, 1999 The Chairman of the Bristol Royal Infirmary Inquiry has thanked parents who have given evidence during the past two weeks. The Inquiry’s first block of evidence has been completed today with 14 parents giving accounts of their experiences – from original referrals through to post-surgery. Inquiry Chairman Professor Kennedy said parents had taken the chance to tell their own stories in their own words and pledged to continue the open nature of the proceedings. Professor Kennedy said: "I said before we began these public hearings that some parents would face a harrowing ordeal when having to relive events from their past which involved the care and treatment of their children. He said: "In some cases it has proved very difficult for parents to recount their experiences in public. The opening two weeks of the Inquiry have been an emotional time for all of us but I would like to record my thanks for the way parents have approached what has been a difficult task. "By allowing parents to tell their own stories in their own way we have heard about a wide range of issues which were of concern to them and which they wanted to tell the Inquiry about. "Their evidence has set the scene and emphasised the broad range of issues which the Inquiry will be examining over the coming few months while we are in Bristol. It has shown that this Inquiry is not just about surgery, it is much wider than that. "These opening few days have shown the importance of the process which we have adopted. We are not conducting a trial. There are no sides to represent or cases to argue. We intend to maintain our commitment to fairness, openness and impartiality when it comes to hearing subsequent witnesses just as we have with the parents we have heard." Fourteen parents recounted their experiences of their child’s care during the opening phase of the Inquiry. More parents will give evidence over the next few months. Tomorrow sees the start of the Inquiry’s second block of evidence which will look at the national scene. The Inquiry will take evidence from the medical Royal Colleges, the Department of Health and professional organisations. Block two starts tomorrow with evidence from the British Paediatric Cardiac Association, the British Cardiac Society and the Paediatric Intensive Care Society. Block two evidence is likely to be completed by the end of April and evidence for block three – the Bristol Royal Infirmary’s paediatric cardiac surgical services – is likely to start at the beginning of May. ENDS Notes for editors: the oral hearings are held on the fifth floor of offices at 2-10 Temple Way in Bristol. Photographic or recording equipment – either audio or visual – is not permitted in the Inquiry chamber or precincts on the fifth floor. The Inquiry normally sits from Monday to Thursday. Mondays start at 10.30am and the other days begin at 9.30am. The Inquiry does not sit on Fridays. For further information please contact Richard Green, Head of Communications, tel. 0117 938 8709. March 24, 1999 MORE PARENTS TO GIVE EVIDENCE TO INQUIRY The Inquiry was opened last week by parents giving accounts of their experiences - from their child's original referral through to post-surgery. This week the Inquiry will hear from eight more parents on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Families will be called throughout the Inquiry to contribute to subsequent blocks of evidence. The second block of evidence starts on Thursday and 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. On Monday March 22 the proceedings will begin with evidence from Paula Jordan from Somerset, followed by Penelope Plackett from Devon and lastly Ellen Sheridan from Wolverhampton. On Tuesday March 23 the Inquiry will hear from Linda Burton from Somerset, Alice Thomas from Wales and Kenneth Darbyshire from Bristol. On Wednesday March 24 Janet Edwards from Devon and Belinda House from Somerset will give oral evidence to the Inquiry. On Thursday March 25, Block Two begins with representatives from national bodies coming to Bristol to give evidence. We shall hear from Dr Michael Godman, President of the British Paediatric Cardiac Association, Dr Howard Swanton, President of the British Cardiac Society and Dr Jane Ratcliffe, Former Honorary Secretary of the Paediatric Intensive Care Society. ENDS Notes for Editors: The oral hearings will be held on the fifth floor of offices at 2-10 Temple Way in Bristol. No photographic or recording equipment is allowed in the Inquiry Chamber or precincts on the fifth floor. Opportunities to photograph and interview witnesses will be made available. The Inquiry will normally sit from Monday to Thursday during this first phase. Mondays will run from 10.30 am – 4.30 pm the other days will run from 9.30 am to 2.15 pm For further information contact: Becky Jarvis, Media Relations Manager (tel: 0117 938 8716). Web site: http://www.bristol-inquiry.org.uk/ 19th March 1999
The Bristol Inquiry will be the most comprehensive inquiry the NHS has ever seen. At the General Medical Council, only 29 deaths were examined in detail with two operations alone being central, the arterial switch, to repair the transposition of the great arteries and the operation to repair the arterial ventricular septal defect (AVSD). By contrast the Bristol Inquiry will draw statistical conclusions from over two thousand cases of surgery, both open heart surgery and closed heart surgery. Mr Langstaff underlined the scale of the Inquiry: "This Inquiry is not looking into the deaths of 29 babies. If it were, it might imply that the death of any other baby was of less importance. It might, moreover, suggest that where a child has survived, but with say, brain damage or renal problems, this is not to be taken into account. I can assure every parent of any child who had heart surgery between 1984 and 1995 at the BRI that their child’s case will play a part in the evidence upon which the Inquiry will base its conclusions." He went on to illustrate this commitment: "At one stage in the process we estimated that if one person on his own were to read each page at a reasonable rate – allowing only a couple of minutes per A4 page – it would take him over 20 years to read each document once." It was also announced today at the Inquiry that a group of experts in each relevant area of expertise will be called to give evidence to the Inquiry. The Expert Group, which will be recruited by invitation from the Inquiry, will include experts in the following fields:
It is recognised that membership of the Expert Group may involve a considerable commitment of time and energy, to the expert and the institution where the expert works. In order to lighten the load on any one individual, a number of experts will be invited to serve in each area of expertise. Experts may be called to give oral evidence in addition to their written evidence, and published reports. When called to give oral evidence, an expert may appear alone, or, for the first time at a Public Inquiry, as part of discussion to which two or three experts who hold differing views will be invited to contribute. In this case, each will give evidence at the same time moderated by Counsel, thus permitting an open, panel-type discussion amongst relevant experts. To conclude:
For further information contact: Becky Jarvis, Media Relations Manager (tel: 0117 938 8716). Web site: http://www.bristol-inquiry.org.uk/ 16 March 1999 INQUIRY PLEDGES SUPPORT FOR PARENTS The Chairman of the Bristol Royal Infirmary Inquiry has pledged to do everything in his power to make life as comfortable as possible for parents who face a harrowing time giving their evidence. Professor Ian Kennedy said: "We have pledged to be fair to everyone involved in this Inquiry but it will be particularly testing and trying for parents who face a harrowing ordeal and we have taken account of that." He said: "Our proceedings will not be adversarial, it will not be a court and will not be a trial. There are no sides – we want to include everyone and we want to hear from everyone. "We have designed the layout of the hearing chamber to put people at their ease as much as possible and we have arranged quiet rooms where people can go if they feel the need. "We must be sensitive and although we are not able to provide long term counselling we will be making support available and will do everything we can to make it less of an ordeal." The Inquiry has a wide remit to examine every case of complex child heart surgery at the Bristol Royal Infirmary between 1984 and 1995 – around 2,000 operations. As well as facilities to make life as comfortable as possible for those giving evidence, the Inquiry is using ground-breaking technology to reach a wide audience including remote video links to Cardiff, Barnstaple and Truro which will be available from early April. The Inquiry proceedings will be available on the internet each evening and paper copies of the transcript as well as witness statements and related documents will be posted on a regular basis to Community Health Councils and local libraries across South Wales and the South West. For further information contact: Becky Jarvis, Media Relations Manager (tel: 0117 938 8716). Web site: http://www.bristol-inquiry.org.uk/ 15 March 1999 INQUIRY CHAIRMAN APPEALS FOR MORE EVIDENCE The Chairman of the Bristol Royal Infirmary Inquiry, Professor Ian Kennedy, has made a national appeal for more people to come forward with evidence.On the day that the biggest-ever Inquiry of its type began to take evidence from parents, Professor Kennedy launched his appeal nationwide to try to ensure as many people as possible could take part and have their say. The Inquiry team has already scanned 600,000 pages of evidence including 3,000 medical records relating to more than 2,000 operations. Professor Kennedy said: " This is the largest NHS Inquiry ever. It is not just about Bristol but about the whole organisation and culture of the National Health Service. "We will not just be looking at surgery, our examination will be much wider than that and we still want to hear from people. "It is possible that there are still parents who are not aware of the Inquiry. There may be people working in the NHS who want to get in touch and we would encourage them to do so. "We will be in Bristol for the rest of the year and can be contacted at any time by anyone who feels they have something to say or has information they would like us to consider." ENDS For further information contact: Becky Jarvis, Media Relations Manager (tel: 0117 938 8716). Web site: http://www.bristol-inquiry.org.uk/ 16 March 1999 INQUIRY OPENS WITH PARENTS' STORIES The Bristol Royal Infirmary Inquiry team announced the names of the witnesses who will be giving statements at the oral hearings starting in Bristol on Tuesday 16 March. The hearings will begin at 11.00 a.m. and the Inquiry will be opened by the Chairman, Professor Ian Kennedy, and Brian Langstaff QC. The Inquiry chamber, which can accommodate around 200 people, will be open to the public from 10.15 a.m. The first witnesses are parents of children who underwent heart surgery at the Bristol Royal Infirmary between 1984 and 1995. The first person giving oral evidence on Tuesday will be Tracey Clarke from Devon. She will be the only parent witness on the first day. On Wednesday 17 March the Inquiry will hear from Philip Wagstaff from Devon, Michael Parsons from South Wales and John McLorinan from Somerset. Malcolm Curnow from Devon and Michelle Cummings from South Gloucestershire will give oral evidence on Thursday 18 March. ENDS Notes for Editors: The oral hearings will be held on the fifth floor of offices at 2-10 Temple Way in Bristol and will begin on Tuesday 16th March 1999 at 11.00 a.m. Broadcast crews and photographers will have access to the hearing chamber from 10.15 a.m. – 10.45 a.m. on Tuesday for pictures of the Chairman and panel members. These 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 normally sit from Monday to Thursday during this first phase. Mondays will run from 10.30 a.m. – 4.30 p.m., the other days will run from 9.30 a.m. to 2.15 p.m. For further information contact: Becky Jarvis, Media Relations Manager (tel: 0117 938 8716). Web site: http://www.bristol-inquiry.org.uk/ 12 March 1999 INQUIRY HEARINGS REACH A WIDER AUDIENCE The Bristol Royal Infirmary Inquiry will be more accessible to the public thanks to 'state of the art' remote video links being connected to sites in the community. The video links will transmit live pictures direct from the Inquiry to Community Health Council (CHC) offices in Cardiff, Barnstaple and Truro. They have been installed to enable anyone with an interest to follow the Inquiry oral hearings without the need to travel to Bristol each day. Inquiry Chairman, Professor Ian Kennedy said: "This is a Public Inquiry and members of the public are welcome to attend the hearings each day. However, it is important to provide access at places some distance away from Bristol, as it will not always be possible for people to attend on a regular basis. "The Inquiry spans a very large geographical area from Cornwall to South Wales and encompasses so many individuals that we felt it was appropriate to provide remote locations with live links to the Inquiry chamber in Bristol. This audience will be able to follow the day-to-day discussions of the Inquiry from sites closer to their own homes." This is the first time remote video links have been used in connection with a Public Inquiry and it is anticipated that the system will be fully operational by April. This technical innovation is one of a series of measures to ensure the Inquiry oral hearings are easily accessible to the public. Further remote links may be introduced later in the year depending on the take-up at the three pilot sites. Video screens have also been installed within the Inquiry Chamber itself and in the dedicated press room so that all those attending are able to follow the proceedings. For those people unable to attend either the Bristol office or one of the CHC sites, full transcripts of the day's hearings will be printed on the Inquiry's website (http://www.bristol-inquiry.org.uk/) each evening. Copies of the transcripts will also be available in the Inquiry Chamber and will be sent to CHCs in South Wales and the South West and to public libraries. ENDS Notes for Editors The oral hearings will be held on the fifth floor of offices at 2-10 Temple Way in Bristol and will begin on Tuesday 16th March 1999 at 11.00 a.m. These oral hearings, which are phase one of the Inquiry and focus on services in Bristol, will last until the end of 1999. Currently there is seating for just under 200 people, which includes the overflow area. There are 20 allocated press seats in the main hearing chamber and seating for a further 20 journalists in the dedicated press room. The Inquiry will be opened by parents giving accounts of their own 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 Inquiry will normally sit from Monday to Thursday during this first phase. Mondays will run from 10.30 a.m. – 4.30 p.m., the other days will run from 9.30 a.m. to 2.15 p.m. For further information contact: Date: 11/03/99 |
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