Hyponatraemia inquiry judge to speak to coroners

Adam Strain, Raychel Ferguson, Claire Roberts and Conor Mitchell. Lucy Crawford's family chose not to release a photograph

The chairman of the hyponatraemia inquiry is to address Northern Ireland's coroners on how deaths are referred and inquests conducted.

It follows Mr Justice O'Hara's report into the deaths of five children in Northern Ireland hospitals.

Hyponatraemia is a medical condition that occurs when there is a shortage of sodium in the bloodstream.

In a statement, the chairman of the inquiry said he agreed with the presiding coroner, Mrs Justice Keegan.

• Timeline of hospital deaths investigation

• Who were the children?

He said the most effective way to address worrying issues arising from inquests that emerged during the inquiry is for him to speak directly to the coroners.

Earlier this month, Northern Ireland's attorney general directed the coroner to open a fresh inquest into the death of Claire Roberts, who died at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick children in 1996.

Deaths avoidable

In January an inquiry into the deaths of the five children found that four of them, including Claire's, were avoidable.

Speaking to the BBC, Alan Roberts said they welcomed the move which he said had been a long time coming.

The other children who died were Adam Strain, Raychel Ferguson, Conor Mitchell and Lucy Crawford.

In this final inquiry report, Mr Justice O'Hara was scathing of how the families at the centre of the inquiry were treated in the aftermath of the deaths of the children.

He said that "doctors and managers cannot be relied on to do the right thing at the right time" and that they had to put the public interest before their own reputation.

He also said that some witnesses to the inquiry "had to have the truth dragged out of them".