Inquiry to be held into deaths of toddlers on same day at Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow
Cailyn Newlands was 23-months-old and Sonny Campbell was 22-months-old when they died on 6 December 2016 at the Royal Hospital for Children.
Friday 19 January 2024 10:42, UK
A joint fatal accident inquiry is to be held into the deaths of two toddlers on the same day at a Glasgow hospital.
Cailyn Newlands was 23-months-old and Sonny Campbell was 22-months-old when they died on 6 December 2016 at the Royal Hospital for Children.
The youngsters were not treated by the same doctors and did not encounter each other at the hospital.
However, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) said the circumstances gave rise to "significant public concern" to justify a joint fatal accident inquiry (FAI).
COPFS has now lodged a first notice to begin the court process for the inquiry.
The FAI will examine the circumstances of the deaths, including guidance, training, the medical assessments of the children, and whether they should have been assessed by a senior doctor or consultant.
Unlike criminal proceedings, FAIs are inquisitorial in nature, and are used to establish facts rather than to apportion blame.
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Procurator Fiscal Andy Shanks, who leads on death investigations for COPFS, said: "The lord advocate considers that the tragic deaths of Cailyn Newlands and Sonny Campbell occurred in circumstances giving rise to significant public concern and as such a joint discretionary fatal accident inquiry should be held."
A preliminary hearing will take place at Glasgow Sheriff Court on 8 March.