The Inquiry into Hyponatraemia-related Deaths has been set up by the Minister with responsibility for Health, Social Services and Public Safety, Angela Smith, under Article 54 of the Health and Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1972.

The Inquiry has been updated by the PSNI about the progress of its investigations into the deaths of Adam Strain and Raychel Ferguson. It now appears that the police files will not be completed and forwarded to the Public Prosecution Service until the end of June 2006, at least. The Chairman acknowledges the complexity of these investigations and the many competing demands on police time. However the Chairman has had to express his concern to the police about the possible effect of this continuing delay. He hopes to be in a position to provide further information in the near future.

The work of the Inquiry Team into the deaths of Adam Strain, Lucy Crawford and Raychel Ferguson has been deferred pending the outcome of the PSNI investigations and the subsequent decisions of the Public Prosecution Service are known.  This is expected to take until Easter 2006.

As before all enquiries should either be emailed to the Inquiry at inquiry@ihrdni.org or posted to Inquiry into Hyponatraemia-related Deaths, 20 Adelaide Street, BELFAST  BT2 8GB.

Further to their decision to investigate the deaths of Adam and Raychel, and while that investigation continues, the PSNI have asked the Inquiry to remove from its website all documentation relating to those deaths.  That has now been done. This will remain the position until further notice.