The Francis Inquiry

Robert Francis QC

Chair, Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Inquiry

Robert Francis QC has practised as a barrister since 1973 and is a specialist in medical legal issues including clinical negligence claims, in which he acts for both claimants and defendants. He has extensive experience of medically related inquiries, having appeared as a barrister at the Bristol Royal Infirmary Inquiry, the Royal Liverpool Children's Inquiry, and the Neale Inquiry. He has also chaired three homicide inquiries into the care and treatment of mentally disordered patients: Michael Stone in Kent; Peter Bryan and Richard Loudwell in Broadmoor Hospital; and Glaister Earle Butler in Birmingham.

Appearing frequently for doctors before the 'fitness to practise panels' of the General Medical Council, Robert often deals with cases raising difficult ethical issues in medical treatment, such as the withdrawal of nutrition from patients in a permanent vegetative state and professional disciplinary and regulatory cases.

Robert Francis QC chaired the Independent Inquiry into care provided by Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust between January 2005 and March 2009, which reported on 24 February 2009. He has been asked by the Secretary of State for Health, Andrew Lansley MP, to chair this subsequent Public Inquiry into the role of the commissioning, supervisory and regulatory bodies in the monitoring of Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust.

Harry Cayton OBE

Harry Cayton OBE, Chief Executive, Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence

Niall Dickson

Chief Executive, General Medical Council

Suzie Hughes

Lay chair, Patient and Carer Involvement Steering Group (PCSG), Royal College of Physicians

Professor Rhona Flin

Professor of Applied Psychology, University of Aberdeen

Rhona Flin (PhD, FBPsS, FRSE) is Professor of Applied Psychology and Director of the Industrial Psychology Research Centre at the University of Aberdeen.  She leads a team of psychologists conducting research on human performance in high risk industries and healthcare. Her group’s projects include studies of leadership, safety culture, team skills and decision making in acute medicine, aviation and energy industries (ww.abdn.ac.uk/iprc). She is currently studying non-technical skills in drilling rig crews, decision making by surgeons and senior managers’ safety leadership. Her latest books are Safety at the Sharp End: A Guide to Non-Technical Skills (with O’Connor & Crichton, Ashgate, 2008) and Safer Surgery: Analysing Behaviour in the Operating Theatre (with Mitchell, Ashgate, 2009).

Professor Sir Ian Kennedy

Former Chairman Healthcare Commission

Kathy McLean

Medical Director, NHS Trust Development Authority

Dr Kathy McLean is Medical Director at the NHS Trust Development Authority.  Until recently, she was the Clinical Transitions Director in the NHS Medical Directorate supporting Sir Bruce Keogh to embed clinical expertise and leadership at the heart of the NHS Commissioning Board.  She also worked to influence how the commissioning system will continuously improve quality in the NHS in a range of ways including through clinical networks and new clinical senates.

Kathy was Medical Director at East Midlands Strategic Health Authority and prior to that was Medical Director at Derby Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust where she was a physician from 1994 until 2009.

Sir Jonathan Michael

Chief Executive, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust 

Sir Jonathan Michael is Chief Executive of Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, and his previous roles include Managing Director of BT Health, Chief Executive of Guys and St Thomas's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Chief Executive of University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust. Sir Jonathan, who began his career as a consultant physician, has also acted as Chairman of the Board for NHS Innovations London and the NHS Foundation Trust Network, and was knighted for services to the NHS in 2005.

Eric Morton

Interim Chief Executive, Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Cllr David Rogers OBE

Chair of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, and vice-chair of Health Scrutiny in East Sussex

Jan Sobieraj

Managing Director, NHS Leadership Academy

Anna Walker

Chair, Office of Rail Regulation

Peter Walsh

Chief Executive, Action against Medical Accidents

Peter Walsh is chief executive of  Action against Medical Accidents (‘AvMA’ – the specialist charity for patient safety and justice). AvMA provide help and advice to over 3,000 people a year who have been affected by medical accidents, and works with health professionals and the NHS to improve patient safety. The charity supported many families who lost loved ones at Stafford in independent reviews and several inquests. AvMA were a core participant at the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust public inquiry, and Peter gave evidence personally (for a full day). Peter has also been appointed by the WHO as a ‘patients for patient safety champion’ and often writes and speaks on the topic of patient safety and redress for injured patients.

Accommodation

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