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Today's Date

The Inquiry

The Inquiry Team, Michael Redfern QC, Liz Powell from one of the Liverpool Community Health Councils, and Jean Keeling, Pathologist, have started taking evidence in person from witnesses.

They started with parent witnesses, and have seen about 30 families. The parental witnesses were selected to try and represent the full range of people involved. This means that there were families from the 1960s 1970s 1980s and 1990s.

Families affected by coroners and hospital post mortems were included. Care was taken to ensure a wide geographic spread, with witnesses from Chester, Manchester, Blackburn, Preston, and North Wales as well as Liverpool. Families included those who had lost babies and those who lost older children. Not all of the children affected died from heart disease. Some of the children did not die in Liverpool, and had never been treated at Alder Hey.

Cases also included those where medical negligence claims had been brought - both proved and not proved; people represented by a range of solicitors, and without a solicitor.

The parent's legal team at Goodman's solicitors, in conjunction with the Inquiry Team, selected the witnesses. No one from PITY II was involved with the selection. The Inquiry Team has also gone through many thousands of pages of documents to seek evidence, as well as all of the parent questionnaires.

Witness statements have been taken from witnesses who may not be called, including some people who are now working abroad. The report is due to be presented to the health minister by the 31st of July. We are hoping that the Inquiry Team will arrange for a seminar to be attended by parents so that you can have the opportunity to meet the team.

 

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