The Inquiry commenced its hearings on 10 September 2024 with opening statements. From 16 September 2024 to 17 January 2025, the Inquiry is hearing oral evidence from witnesses relating to Parts A, B and C of the Terms of Reference.
Registration to attend the public gallery will open one week at a time, two weeks in advance. All hearing dates are indicative and may be subject to change.
Please note that some witnesses have been granted Special Measures. Information about witnesses’ Special Measures pursuant to Section 17-19 of the Inquiries Act 2005 can be found here.
Week 1 – Opening statement
Week 2 – Private Sessions
Week 3 – Private Sessions, Expert evidence
Week 4 – Part B evidence
Week 5 – Part B evidence
Week 6 – Part B evidence
Week 7 – Part B evidence
Week 8 – Part B evidence
Week 9 – Part B evidence
| Date | Witness(es) |
|---|---|
| Monday 11 November | Claire-Louise McLaughlan, Lay Reviewer, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) Alex Mancini, Nurse Reviewer, RCPCH Dr David Shortland, Paediatrician and Clinical Lead for Invited Reviews, RCPCH Dr Nicholas Wilson, Consultant Neonatologist and instructed as Quality Assurance Reviewer, RCPCH |
| Tuesday 12 November | Dr Jane Hawdon, Consultant Neonatologist, Royal Free London Hospital Dr Jo McPartland, Consultant Paediatric Pathologist, Alder Hey Hospital |
| Wednesday 13 November | Dr Ravi Jayaram, Clinical Lead Children’s Services |
| Thursday 14 November | Helen Cain, Care Quality Commission (CQC) Inspector Dr Benjamin Odeka, CQC Inspector Mary Potter, CQC Inspector Elizabeth Childs, CQC Inspection Chair |
| Friday 15 November | Ann Ford, CQC Inspector Julie Hughes, CQC Inspector (Evidence from other CQC witnesses may roll into this day if required) |
Week 10 – Part B evidence
| Date | Witness(es) |
|---|---|
| Monday 18 November | Sharon Dodd, Specialist Nurse (Safeguarding Children) Hayley Frame, Independent Chair of Child Death Overview Panel Paula Sindall (née Lewis), Specialist Safeguarding Children’s Nurse Dr Howyada Isaac, Consultant Community Paediatrician (Safeguarding) |
| Tuesday 19 November | Dr Stephen Brearey, Clinical Lead, Neonatal Unit |
| Wednesday 20 November | Dr Nim Subhedar, Clinical Lead, Cheshire and Merseyside Neonatal Network Dr Rajiv Mittal, Designated Doctor for Safeguarding and Child Death Overview Panel (Countess of Chester Hospital) Former Detective Chief Superintendent Nigel Wenham, Police representative on Child Death Overview Panel |
| Thursday 21 November | Lyn Simpson, Former Executive Regional Managing Director for the North (NHS Improvement) Ian Pace, Former legal adviser (Solicitor) to the Countess of Chester Hospital Corinne Slingo, Former legal adviser (Solicitor) to the Countess of Chester Hospital Simon Medland KC, Former legal adviser (Barrister) to the Countess of Chester Hospital |
Week 11 – Part B evidence
| Date | Witness(es) |
|---|---|
| Monday 25 November | Alison Kelly, Director of Nursing |
| Tuesday 26 November | Susan Hodkinson, Director of People and Organisational Development Dr Oliver Rackham, Consultant Neonatologist |
| Wednesday 27 November | Tony Chambers, Chief Executive Officer |
| Thursday 28 November | Ian Harvey, Medical Director |
| Friday 29 November | Ian Harvey, Medical Director (continued) |
Week 12 – Part B Evidence
| Date | Witness(es) |
|---|---|
| Monday 2 December | Sir Duncan Nichol CBE, Chair of Board; James Wilkie, Non-Executive Director; Simon Holden, Chief Financial Officer |
| Tuesday 3 December | Andrew Higgins, Non-Executive Director; Ed Oliver, Non-Executive Director; Rachel Hopwood, Non-Executive Director; Ros Fallon, Non-Executive Director |
| Wednesday 4 December | Louis Browne KC, Barrister; Alan Moore, Former Deputy / Senior Coroner for Cheshire; Helené Donnelly OBE, Ambassador for Cultural Change |
| Thursday 5 December | Stuart Lythgoe, Director of Operations for the Hospital Consultants and Specialist Association; Sybille Raphael, Director from Protect; Professor John Bowers KC, Employment Law Expert |
| Friday 6 December | Nicholas Rheinberg, Former Senior Coroner for Cheshire |
Week 13 – Part B/C Evidence
The Inquiry will sit for two days only this week, and will then break until the New Year.
Public registration for January oral evidence will be available on our website in due course.
| Date | Witness(es) |
|---|---|
| Tuesday 10 December | Sir Rob Behrens CBE – Former Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman |
| Thursday 12 December* *9:30am commencement of evidence | Dr Alan Fletcher – Chief Medical Examiner for England and Wales (remotely) Dr Stephen Turner – Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) Corporate Witness Dr Camilla Kingdon – Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) Corporate Witness Tony Newman – Nursing and Midwifery Council Employer Link Representative |
| Friday 13 December | Evidence from Thursday 12 December may roll in to this day if required.* *If so, evidence will commence at 9:30am. |
Week 14 – Part B/C Evidence
| Date | Witness(es) |
|---|---|
| Tuesday 7 January | Professor Marian Knight – Professor of Maternal and Child Population Health, Lead for MBRRACE Ken Jarrold CBE – Chair of group which produced Code of Conduct for NHS Managers Dr Alan Clamp – Professional Standards Authority CEO |
| Wednesday 8 January | Dr Rosie Benneyworth – Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) Chief Executive Officer Helen Herniman – Nursing and Midwifery (NMC) Council Corporate Witness General Sir Gordon Messenger – Co-Author of Health and Social Care Review: Leadership for a Collaborative and Inclusive Future (the “Messenger Review”) |
| Thursday 9 January* *9:30am commencement of evidence | Tracy Bullock – Former Chief Executive Officer Mid Cheshire Hospitals Foundation Trust (MCHFT) Professor Judith Smith – Professor of Health Policy and Management Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP – Former Secretary of State for Health and Social Care |
Week 15 – Part C Evidence
| Date | Witness(es) |
|---|---|
| Monday 13 January | Jane Tomkinson OBE – Chief Executive Officer (Countess of Chester Hospital) Patricia Marquis – Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Corporate Witness |
| Tuesday 14 January | Chris Dzikiti – Care Quality Commission (CQC) Corporate Witness Fiona Murphy MBE – Corporate Director of Nursing at the Norther Care Alliance for End-of-Life Care and Bereavement |
| Wednesday 15 January | Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter OBE – Expert Statistician William Vineall – Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) Corporate Witness |
| Thursday 16 January | The Inquiry is no longer sitting on this day. |
| Friday 17 January* *9:30am commencement of evidence | Tom Kark KC – Barrister and Author of the Kark Report Professor Sir Stephen Powis – National Medical Director NHS England |