HEALTH Minister Anne Pryke gave an assurance in the States yesterday that an inquiry into the death of staff nurse Elizabeth Rourke would get to the truth of what happened.
Speaking about the inquiry by Verita into the death of Mrs Rourke in October 2006, she said: ‘I want the truth, including who did what and the context of what happened. I am absolutely adamant that the facts come out.’
However, she was challenged during Question Time to explain why the inquiry’s terms of reference specifically avoided ‘acts or omissions of individuals involved with the tragic operation’. Deputy Bob Hill and others, including Senator Stuart Syvret, repeatedly challenged the Minister to explain why this was so.
Deputy Pryke repeatedly said that the inquiry would not cover disciplinary matters, as any which arose would be dealt with separately after the Verita inquiry had been completed.
But she did tell fellow politicians that the inquiry would start at the beginning by examining events from when Mrs Rourke was referred by her GP to the hospital, and go right through
to the point when the police investigation conducted after her death was concluded.
