Report endorses concerns, says RQIA boss

A review of the clinical records of 44 patients who died under the care of former neurologist Michael Watt has found "significant failures in their treatment" and "poor communication with families". While this review looked at a sample of cases in which people died, potentially thousands more could be affected. The review arises from a 2018 recall of 2,500 outpatients who were in Dr Watt's care at the Belfast Health Trust. He worked there until 2017. About one in five patients had to have their diagnoses changed. This separate review into 44 deaths was conducted by the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) at the request of the regulator, the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA). Briege Donaghy, the chief executive of the RQIA, said it was a "powerful report" which had "vindicated" the concerns of patients and relatives about some of the drugs that were incorrectly prescribed by Michael Watt. Read more here