24th June 2026
Dr Stephen Austin, Southern Trust Medical Director said:
“I sincerely apologise again to the affected Urology patients and to their families because the care provided by the Trust fell below what was acceptable and that, in some cases this caused distress or contributed to harm. As a Trust, we deeply regret the past opportunities we missed to intervene and take action to prevent further harm/distress to our Urology patients.
“It has been distressing and difficult to listen to the patients and families tell of their experience in our Trust – their personal stories have helped shape our response to, and engagement with, the Inquiry and will help drive ongoing meaningful improvement.
Patient safety is our number one priority. We require our staff to act with integrity and work to the highest professional and ethical standards at all times and the vast majority of them do exactly that. However, when there is a failure to meet standards, the consequences can be devastating.
“The inquiry focused on patient safety and the publication of this report is an important milestone for our Trust and the wider HSC. We fully accept the Inquiry’s findings and recommendations. These recommendations will help our Trust and all Trusts avoid repeating past mistakes and so that other patients don’t suffer harm. We have put in place a Trust working group to review and act on the recommendations without delay and it’s progress will be continuously monitored.”
Dr Austin added: “The Inquiry was a detailed and comprehensive examination of our working practices, procedures and systems in the period up until 2020. From the beginning, we viewed this Inquiry as an opportunity to identify, reflect upon and be candid about our failings and use it as an opportunity to improve.
“No organisation ever wants to find itself the subject of a public inquiry as it means there has been a level of failure. The inquiry has been a difficult and uncomfortable watch for us. However, we are grateful for the hard work and dedication of the Inquiry Panel, its counsel, its solicitors and staff throughout this lengthy process. We are also grateful for the co-operation of our staff, who have been open and honest in their engagement with the Inquiry.”
Dr Austin spoke about learning from this process: “The Inquiry made us think really carefully about our organisation, about the work that we do and how we deliver it. Over the last 6 years, we have initiated improvements in our systems and structures of management, training, corporate governance and clinical and social care governance. Learning from the Inquiry will inform our continued improvement over the coming years.”
“We have taken the opportunity to reach outside the organisation in terms of really thinking about how things can be done better and minimise the chance of our patients experiencing distress or harm in the future as a result of our failings. As part of this effort, we brought in a group of independent experts from across the UK to help us make significant improvements. That has been an important part of our response to the Inquiry and has helped set an agenda which is captured in our Vision and Strategy 2030**, our commitment to constant improvement in all aspects of our care.”
If any patient has concerns, please phone the Southern Trust Urology Helpline Phone: Freephone number – 0800 414 8520 (lines open Monday to Friday 10am – 3pm).
You can view the following reports and statements on via links below or on the Urology Services Inquiry website.