Belfast Trust announces legal proceedings extended for patients impacted by neurology recall

The recalls relate to the conduct of Dr Michael Watt, a neurologist who was found to have misdiagnosed thousands of patients.

The Belfast Trust has announced legal proceedings over patients impacted by the neurology recall will be extended to 21 June 2025.

The recalls relate to the conduct of Dr Michael Watt, a neurologist with the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust who was found to have misdiagnosed thousands of patients.

In a statement, the Trust said: "This is the timeframe available to anyone treated by former Consultant Neurologist Michael Watt in the Health and Social Care system and it does not include those who received treatment on a private basis at any other healthcare facility."

In November last year, the Department of Health expressed "deep concern" over findings of "significant failures" in the care and treatment of patients of former neurologist Dr Michael Watt.

The Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) published a report of the expert review into the clinical records of 44 deceased patients who had been under the care of former Belfast Health and Social Care Trust consultant neurologist.

That came after a 2018 recall of thousands of Dr Watt's patients at the Belfast Trust - the biggest in UK medical history at the time. It has been found around one in five of his patients were wrongly diagnosed

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