AQW 30261/22-27

Miss Nuala McAllister
Alliance Party
North Belfast

Tabled Date: 03/09/2025
Answered On Date: 18/09/2025
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health for an update on Phase Three of the Neurology Deceased Patients Review.

Answer:

Following on from my Written Ministerial Statement found at https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2025-07/WRITTEN%20STATEMENT%20TO%20THE%20ASSEMBLY%20Neurology%20Deceased%20Patients%20Review%20%28DPR%29%20Update_0.pdf on the 9th July 2025 providing an update on the Deceased Patient Review (DPR), I can confirm that Phase 3 Group 1 reviews have begun and the RQIA anticipate receiving the individual case summary reports and overall reports from the RCP for the 18 deceased patients in this group by late summer/early autumn 2025.

Phase 3 Group 2, the final Phase of the DPR, comprises 8 families who indicated they wished to proceed with a review of their deceased family member’s clinical records. In August 2025 a Direct Award Contract (DAC) from RQIA for the Royal College of Physicians received approval and RQIA issued a commissioning letter for the Royal College of Physicians to conduct a clinical record review for the final group of eight deceased patients.

It is the intention that the overall work to complete the DPR will be completed by spring/early summer 2026.