I am aware of the allegations referred to by the Deputy and that these have been denied by the general practitioner in question. I share the widespread horror and revulsion that has been widely expressed about the dreadful abuse suffered by the victims in this case.
As I indicated to the House on the adjournment last Wednesday, the chief executive officer of the health board in whose area the family lived has appointed an independent group with the following terms of reference:
To review the Board's involvement in the case and to assess the Board's response in the context of both the level of service and the practices that pertained at the time and those that exist today.
To make recommendations to the Chief Executive Officer to ensure that in any such case the Board's response is effective.
The board's chief executive officer will make a full report to the Minister for Health when the review is completed within the next few weeks. The Deputy will appreciate that, pending receipt of this report, it would be inappropriate for me to make any further statement on the case.
