Inquiry into hospital deaths

Raychel Ferguson's family said the inquiry must be held in public

The family of a child whose death in hospital is to be investigated has called for it to be held in public.

Northern Ireland Health Minister Angela Smith has announced an independent probe into the deaths of Lucy Crawford, Raychel Ferguson and Adam Strain.

Barrister John O'Hara QC will conduct the inquiry which follows a recent Ulster Television programme which raised questions about their deaths.

Raychel Ferguson's family said the inquiry must be held in public.

Health service

The UTV programme claimed the children died needlessly from a condition known as hyponatraemia, a shortage of sodium in the body - and that one of the deaths was covered up.

The minister phoned the parents of the children to assure them that the inquiry will be fully independent.

She said the programme had raised a number of serious issues and allegations which needed to be investigated.

"I regard it as very important that the general public should have confidence in the health service and in the standards of performance," she said.

A Department of Health spokesman stressed it would be fully independent and its final report made public.

He said Mr O'Hara was chosen to head the inquiry because of his experience.

Mr O'Hara took charge of the inquiry into the retention of human organs in hospitals in Northern Ireland three years ago.