RUMOURS the Mid Staffordshire Foundation Trust Inquiry was set to be delayed until February have been quashed today.
For the second time in recent weeks whispers started that the public inquiry, chaired by Robert Francis QC into the role of commissioning, supervisory and regulatory bodies monitoring the hospital trust during the period between January 2005 and March 2009, would not be delivered in January as expected.
But a spokesman for the Inquiry was quick to suppress any concerns of delay.
Talking to the Newsletter she said: "The Inquiry plans to deliver the report to the Secretary of State for Health in January.
"It is then for the Secretary of State to determine the date of publication, as he will need to lay the report before Parliament."
She said once a date was confirmed for publication people would be informed along with details about the arrangements for the day, including any briefing that the press would receive.
She added the Inquiry hoped to give at least a week's notice prior to publication.
Pressed by the Newsletter the Inquiry spokesman said she was unable to say whether the delivery date would be early, mid or late January.
