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Newry and Armagh MLA Justin McNulty has met with the team behind the Inquiry into the Covid Outbreaks at Daisy Hill and Craigavon Area Hospitals and plans further meetings with them and the Southern Health and Social Care Trust. Twelve patients connected to the Male Medical ward at Daisy Hill Hospital and the Haematology Ward at Craigavon Hospital passed away earlier this month.
Mr McNulty said, ‘The outbreak of Covid in our hospitals is a very serious issue and I welcome the independent investigation into what went wrong. Patients need the confidence that everything is being done to ensure lessons are learned and that there will be no further outbreaks in our hospitals. Staff need to be confident that they are safe and that they are being supported, that they are being given the appropriate PPE and that they are not being put at risk by protecting and caring for others.’
‘I welcome the engagement and I know the team will work with the families of loved ones who have lost their lives due to covid, but also those who came through the virus and are on the mend. We all need reassured that lessons are being learned.’
‘Whilst the terms of reference for the team are still being finalised by the parties concerned, I want to engage further with them to ensure the scope of the investigation is wide enough to listen to all families who have important stories to tell and the timeframe should be extended from the origin of the outbreaks right up to today.’
‘This will be a very difficult process for those who lost loved ones, but it must be open and transparent to reassure them that no other families will go through the hurt and anguish they have. This process will not be quick, but it needs to be thorough, give answers and make clear recommendations.’
