Organs inquiry contacts parents

The controversy made headlines in the Belfast Telegraph

The inquiry into the retention of human organs in hospitals in Northern Ireland has launched a media campaign to encourage families to take part.

Health Minister Bairbre de Brun, set up the inquiry in March to look into revelations that human organs were kept in hospitals without the informed consent of relatives.

Earlier this year it was revealed that over 1,000 human organs were retained at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast and at Londonderry's Altnagelvin Hospital.

The inquiry will review past and current post mortem policy and practice, and will make recommendations on any changes necessary.

We want the families to tell us what has happened to them

John O'Hara Inquiry chairman

Inquiry chairman, John O'Hara QC said the investigation would be broken down into two parts.

"There is a need in the minister's view to establish what if anything has gone wrong in the past which has led to a lot of parents and families suffering distress," he said.

"The second part is to make sure that whatever new procedures and practises have been introduced are good enough to carry on into the future."

Advertisements placed in local newspapers have resulted in 40 applications for questionnaires from parents and families.

"Initially we want the families to contact us and to tell us what has happened to them in writing.

"We will then follow up this information with the various hospitals and trusts who are involved," he said.

Mr O'Hara said he would be writing to hospitals and various medical professional bodies asking for their views on past and future practises.

It has not yet been determined if public hearings will take place as part of the inquiry.

Health Minister: Bairbre de Brun

"At some stage, we will have to decide whether it would help the inquiry to hold a public hearings with some of the relatives and some of the hospitals.

"We have not reached a final view at this stage but we are conscious that the minister urged us to conduct the inquiry in as public and open a way as possible.

"I hope that when the parents see and hear whatever questions are asked, they will be satisfied that the right issues are being raised and that we are getting to the right answers," he added.

Parents are represented on an associated body, the Relatives Reference Group, which has been established by the minister to work alongside the inquiry.

"The parents know that we will meet with them from time to time whenever they require any help.

"We have another meeting planned for June.

Balance

The issue of compensation is yet to be determined, but Mr O'Hara said that the final decision would rest with the minister.

"It will be for the minister to decide that whether she regards, she in conjunction with the Assembly presumably, if any compensation should be paid, who pays the cost of it.

Mr O'Hara said that the inquiry was keen to strike a balance between the need for parents rights and feelings to be respected and the need for organ donation to continue to aid vital research at hospitals.

"I am sure the doctors are going to tell us that getting fully informed consent from a parent to a post mortem with all that that involves is exceptionally difficult particularly in the situation where a young child has just died.

"On the other hand so far as we are aware from preliminary discussions with parents they all agree that research must continue.

"Their complaint is not that research is going on, but the way in which they were not aware that their children's body parts were being used."