The Health Minister, Robbie Butler MLA, the Permanent Secretary of the Department of Health, Mr Mike Farrar, and other Department officials met with a number of the family members of former patients of Muckamore Abbey Hospital in Belfast yesterday. This was a follow up meeting to that held with the former Health Minister, Mr Mike Nesbitt MLA, on 8 July 2026 following the publication of the Muckamore Abbey Hospital Inquiry (MAHI) Report on 18 June 2026.
Mr Butler and Mr Farrar both indicated that they were keen for families to play an integral part in the process of implementing the 106 recommendations made in the Inquiry Chair’s report and that a delivery model needs to be agreed going forward so that what happened at Muckamore “is never going to be repeated”. Mr Butler also advised that some recommendations are already in train following the Neurology and Urology Public Inquiries including work on advancing the proposed statutory duty of candour.
Concerns were expressed regarding similar and ongoing abuse in other health and social care settings in Northern Ireland and Mr Butler acknowledged this and added that “Cultural change needs to happen now.” There was also frustration that a number of months had passed since the Inquiry Report was published but families involved have not heard what is happening within the Department of Health. In response, Mr Butler indicated that delivery on the recommendations will be a priority whilst he remains Health Minister and that there has been much work undertaken to date
In terms of next steps, Mr Butler will be meeting with the Inquiry Chair, Mr Tom Kark KC before he updates the Northern Ireland Assembly and expects that there will be further progress made and updates available by mid-December 2026.
We again welcome these assurances and await further developments later this year.