Press Release 31 March 2009

Health Minister Announces C. Difficile Public Inquiry Panel

Former Chief Medical Officer for Wales, Dame Deirdre Hine is to chair the panel that will take forward the Clostridium difficile public inquiry.
Health Minister, Michael McGimpsey also announced the Terms of Reference for the inquiry into the outbreak of C difficile in the Northern Health and Social Care Trust hospitals between 16 June 2007 and 31 August 2008.
The Minister said: “The terms of reference for this inquiry are wide-ranging. The inquiry will aim to establish how many people died in the course of the outbreak, and will examine the experiences of patients and others who were affected by the outbreak.
“We must hear from the people who suffered as a result of the outbreak; that is, the patients who contracted the infection, their families and the people who have lost loved ones. We owe it to them to provide them with an opportunity to have their voices heard so that we can learn from their experiences and restore public confidence in the health service.
“I have asked the panel to report its findings and recommendations to me within 12 months.”
Commenting on her appointment as chair of the panel, Dame Deirdre Hine said: “This public inquiry offers an important opportunity for everyone who has been affected by this outbreak to tell us about their experiences.
“The success of the inquiry will depend on people telling us their stories, and we will make every effort to ensure that the people who have been affected have opportunities to do that. We would encourage people to contact us as soon as possible. If people tell us about their experiences of the outbreak, the whole health service can learn lessons from the outbreak.”
The Minister has appointed three other people to serve on the inquiry panel: Dr Jocelyn Cornwell, an independent healthcare consultant and a founding director of the Commission for Health Improvement; Mrs Eleanor Hayes, former Director of Nursing and Governance at Belfast City Hospital Trust and Green Park Hospitals Trust; and Professor Robert Stout, formerly Professor of Geriatric Medicine and Queen’s University of Belfast.
Full contact details for the inquiry will be published shortly.


Notes to editors:

  1. The Terms of Reference for the Inquiry are:

    The Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety has ordered that a public inquiry be conducted into the outbreak of Clostridium difficile infection that occurred in Northern Health and Social Care hospitals between 16 June 2007 and 31 August 2008.

  2. The purpose of the inquiry is:

    (1) to establish how many deaths occurred in Northern Health and Social Care Trust hospitals during the outbreak, for which Clostridium difficile was the underlying cause of death, or was a condition contributing to death;

    and

    (2) to examine and report on the experiences of patients and others who were affected directly by the outbreak, and to make recommendations accordingly.

  3. The inquiry will be conducted under the terms of the Inquiries Act 2005.

  4. The inquiry panel should report to the Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety, within twelve months of beginning the inquiry, unless otherwise determined by the Minister.

  5. Media enquiries should be directed to the DHSSPS Press Office on 028 90520579 or out of office hours contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 076 9971 5440 and your call will be returned.