Solicitor sets out preparations for hearing
The Inquiry is currently busy preparing for our second hearing of evidence commencing on 9 May. Lord Brodie has decided that the upcoming hearing will focus on two key themes: ventilation theory and practice and the project background to the Edinburgh hospital. The hearing will run for approximately two weeks.
Firstly, with help from a number of experts from academic, engineering and medical backgrounds, the Inquiry will hear about the importance and purpose of ventilation and the relevant standards and guidance in hospital settings. This should give us a broad understanding of the theory and practice of ventilation. The intention is to provide context for further hearings into the specific issues at both the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital Campus in Glasgow and the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People and Department of Clinical Neurosciences (RHCYP/DCN) in Edinburgh.
The Inquiry will then move onto the second theme, where we will hear about the background to the RHCYP/DCN construction project. We will examine, among other things, the development of the business cases, the roles of the key individuals in the early stages and the arrangements for governance and assurance. The full list of the issues to be considered at the hearing are here.
A great deal of our work getting ready for a hearing takes place behind the scenes, which involves a number of teams across the Inquiry. Ahead of the May hearing, our teams have been busy preparing and finalising witness statements, which will be published on our website before the hearing. Our team has also been reviewing documents that further inform our investigations and will assist us in pinpointing and clarifying issues that have come up during the course of our work.
At the same time, other teams are preparing for the next two hearings later this year. For two weeks from 3 October, we plan to look at the procurement phase of RHCYP/DCN. And in November, we plan a hearing that will last a number of weeks in relation to the QEUH. Lord Brodie will finalise exactly what these will cover in due course and further information about them will be posted on the Inquiry’s website when available.