Hyponatraemia: Claire Roberts' parents' concern over inquest list

Claire Roberts died at Belfast's Royal Hospital for Sick Children in 1996

The parents of one of the children at the centre of the hyponatraemia inquiry say they are disappointed none of the doctors who cared for her are on a draft witness list for a fresh inquest.

Claire Roberts, nine, died in 1996, two days after she was admitted to hospital for vomiting and drowsiness.

In January, an inquiry into the deaths of five children found four of them were avoidable.

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

• Who were the children?

• Children's hospital deaths were avoidable

• Timeline of hyponatraemia inquiry

Mr Justice O'Hara who chaired the public inquiry into the hyponatraemia-related deaths concluded the first inquest into Claire's death was wrong.

He also said there was a cover-up into her death, which was not referred to the coroner immediately to "avoid scrutiny".

This prompted the Attorney General John Larkin QC to open a fresh inquest into Claire's death.

At a preliminary hearing at Belfast Magistrates' Court, coroner Joe McCrisken produced what he described as a preliminary witness list containing 10 names.

It included Dr Robert Bingham and Dr Ian Maconochie who gave evidence at the original inquest.

'Logic'

Claire's father Alan Roberts told BBC News NI he was disappointed at this outcome.

"I am really surprised, this is not what we expected," he said.

"The list should have included at the very least the names of those doctors who cared for our daughter while at the Royal Victoria Hospital.

"They should be among the first to be called. I can't understand the logic in this at all - surely the inquest needs to hear from those who cared for Claire."

He added they would be proposing that not only should the doctors be called but also the chief medical officer, Dr Michael McBride, who was medical director at the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust at the time of Claire's first inquest.

Mr McCrisken told the court the list was provisional and would allow for "movement" in the proceedings.

All parties were told they had 28 days to complete their written submissions to court.

Claire's death was not reported to the coroner for eight years.

For 21 years, her parents protested that the truth about their daughter's death was concealed.