FRESH calls for a public inquiry FRESH calls for a public inquiry into the 1994 troubles at Burnley Health Care Trust have been made.

Noel O'Brien told colleagues on the Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale Community Health Council that the public would not be satisfied until they got an inquiry into the matters which had brought the Trust into disrepute throughout the land.

At their November meeting the health watchdogs regretted the decision of the Trust not to initiate a public inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the dismissal of a consultant and the subsequent resignation of the chairman and chief executive. They agreed to rescind their previous resolution calling for a public inquiry if the Trust Board gave them the information and evidence that procedures were in place to ensure that similar events would never happen again.

Mr O'Brien said a letter from the new chairman of the Trust did not go any way towards answering those questions.

Chief Officer, Paul Etherington, said the CHC's position remained as it was, that they were calling for a public inquiry although that position could change in the future.

Trust chief executive, David Chew, said various changes had been made in 1995 including the involvement of clinical directors in the officer/management team looking at the day to day operation of the Trust.

The chairman of the medical advisory committee also attended alongside the medical director who reported back to the committee every month. "As a result communications have been found to be much improved.''

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