Raychel Ferguson's parents call for PSNI investigation into death

Marie and Ray Ferguson, the parents of Raychel Ferguson (9), who died as a result of Hospital Acquired Hyponatraemia have branded what they described as "the refusal" of nurses to answer questions about their daughter's death as "disgraceful".

The Ferguson's were referring to the conduct of nursing staff during the Attorney General-directed inquest second inquest into Raychel's death, which concluded on Monday (December 11, 2023).

Raychel died on June 10, 2001 at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children following an appendix operation carried out in Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry. 

She was one of five children whose hospital treatment was examined in the long-running Hyponatraemia Inquiry.

Following the Inquest, Marie and Ray Ferguson said: "We would like to thank again the previous Attorney General, Mr John Larkin KC, for considering Raychel’s case and Directing a new Inquest. We remain very grateful to him.

Coroner says ‘human errors’ resulted in death of Raychel Ferguson following operation

"The Belfast Trust and the Department of Health were notably absent from Raychel’s Inquest. The Western Trust and the nurses may as well have been absent as they only used the Inquest to further the cover up, they began immediately upon Raychel’s avoidable death. 

"The refusal of the nurses to answer questions about Raychel’s death while in their care remains disgraceful.

"We expect that the Nursing and Midwifery Council in their continuing investigations into the nurses will take a careful note of their behaviour. 

"It is clear now from Raychel’s second Inquest that the Duty of Candour recommended by the Hyponatraemia Inquiry, is being ignored by the medical profession, the Trusts, and the Department of Health.

"We call upon the police to continue with their investigations surrounding the death of our daughter. It was said at the Raychel’s new Inquest that the police were investigating everyone about everything. 

"The Western Trust and their legal advisors obtained secret expert evidence after Raychel’s death. They hid it from the first Inquest in 2003 and tried to hide it from the Public Inquiry, the police and us, because it did not serve their interests. The distress this caused, and its legal ramifications continue.  

"Other families involved in Inquests over the last number of years, and currently with the various Trusts, should seek confirmation that they were and continue to be provided with all medical and expert evidence obtained by the Trusts and their legal advisors at public expense. 

"The Office of the Lady Chief Justice, the public and our politicians should be concerned about the practice of medical Trusts and their legal advisors obtaining secret medical reports at public expense, especially in Inquest cases, then, deliberately hiding these reports from the courts when they are not favourable to them. As a family we see this as perverting the course of justice. 

"Our main goal for this new Inquest was to have Raychel’s cause of death formalised properly. It was ‘Hospital Acquired Hyponatraemia’.

"We see this further success as another step towards Raychel’s Law and the establishment of a statutory Duty of Candour for the medical profession.

"As His Lordship, Mr Justice O’Hara said in his Report: ‘Whilst public confidence in the Health Service is important, it must never be pursued without strict regard for the truth’. 

"The truth is all we ever wanted, and we should not have been involved in dragging the truth out of the medical profession and medical Trusts over 22 years.

"This Attorney General directed inquest has shown that when it comes to Raychel’s avoidable death, the Western Trust continue to struggle with, and have a very complicated relationship with the truth and the cover up they instigated."