Raychel Ferguson: Parents tell inquest all they want is the truth

Raychel Ferguson died at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children in June 2001

The parents of Raychel Ferguson have told a fresh inquest into her death that all parents ever want is to hear the truth.

Nine-year-old Raychel died of hyponatraemia at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children in 2001.

Giving evidence on Thursday, Ray and Marie Ferguson recalled the events of June 8 2001 when Raychel became ill at Altnagelvin Hospital in Londonderry.

She said in hindsight they watched their daughter "die before their eyes".

"The nurses weren't listening", Mrs Ferguson added.

They said they would not have left their daughter if they had known how ill she was.

'Raychel was zombie-like'

Mrs Ferguson told the inquest that since her daughter's death there had not only been a "medical cover-up but also a legal cover-up".

In her view the Directorate of Legal Services and the Belfast health trust "had all been involved".

"Parents just want to know the truth about what happened," Mrs Ferguson said.

Regarding the condition of her daughter when she was ill, Mrs Ferguson said: "Raychel was zombie-like in the bed. She never spoke to me after 4pm."

Raychel's father recalled his daughter sitting in bed with her head in her hands crying with pain.

He recalled a nurse saying she would give Racyhel two paracetamol tablets.

• Timeline: From girl's death to dishonesty ruling

During Thursday's hearing the coroner, Joe McCrisken, said it was his job to "find out what happened, to tease out the events and to provide answers".

Mr and Mrs Ferguson have always insisted that there was a medical cover-up.

Mr McCrisken said that for things to improve, there must be a "whole culture shift" within health services.

In 2018 the Hyponatraemia Inquiry - which examined the deaths of five children in Northern Ireland hospitals, including Raychel - found her death was avoidable.

The 14-year-long inquiry was heavily critical of the "self-regulating and unmonitored" health service.

In his report in 2018, Mr Justice O'Hara found there was a "reluctance among clinicians to openly acknowledge failings" in Raychel's death.

He said her death was the result of "negligent care".

The new inquest into her death was first opened in January 2022 after being ordered by the attorney general but was postponed in October after new evidence came to light.

Speaking outside Derry courthouse on Thursday, Mr and Mrs Ferguson said this second inquest had been a lot different. They said they believed and hoped that this time justice would be done and the ongoing police investigation would "hold people to account".