Human Rights Commission to give Health Committee evidence on Emergency Health Care Inquiry

The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission will today appear before the Committee for Health, Social Services and Public Safety to update them on its Inquiry into emergency health care.

This Inquiry will focus on the government’s human rights duties in relation to emergency health care provision. It also aims to give a voice to patients, family members and carers who have visited Accident and Emergency Departments or Minor Injuries Units. Staff, professional bodies, voluntary and other organisations are also being invited to participate by giving oral or written evidence.

A confidential free phone line (0800 028 6066) has been operating for two weeks. Inquiry staff have recorded a range of issues, including difficulties experienced by people with long term conditions and a lack of information reported by patients or their family members regarding their treatment.

John Corey, Interim Chair of the NIHRC, said:

“The experiences that people are sharing with us underline the need for a human rights approach to emergency health care. The evidence that we receive will shape our report and recommendations to the Northern Ireland Executive.

“We hope that members of the public and health care staff will continue to participate in the Inquiry by calling the phone line or visiting nihrc.org/inquiry.”

ENDS

Further information:

For further information please contact Alice Neeson on: alice.neeson@nihrc.org or 0771 7731873 (mobile).

Notes to editors

1. The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission is an independent statutory body first proposed in the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement (1998) and established in 1999 by the Northern Ireland Act (1998). It is answerable to Parliament at Westminster

2. The Commission will publish its final report and recommendations to the Northern Ireland Executive in April 2015. Public hearings will take place at various locations across Northern Ireland in the autumn. See nihrc.org/inquiry for details.