Ulster Unionist Peer and former MLA for Fermanagh and South Tyrone, Lord Tom Elliott of Ballinamallard described the legal process of those seeking justice and compensation from government bodies as “slow” and “arduous”.

He made these comments as one local family spoke about their experience of seeking justice and compensation following alleged medical malpractice over a decade ago.

A spokesperson for the Fermanagh-based family said: “It is an incredibly demoralising process for a family like ours when you see how difficult it is to navigate through a system when there are so many processes and delays which add to the sheer frustration to get suitable justice and recompense for the loved dearest to their heart.”

The spokesperson claimed: “The whole legal system is definitely in favour of the company and is made as tough and emotionally painful as possible for the person taking the case against them.

“This needs to change and quickly.”

Lord Elliott is aware of a number of families in the area seeking compensation, speaking on the issue he said: “"Victims and their families are often forced to navigate a slow and arduous legal process that often stretches over years. This not only denies them timely justice and financial compensation but also adds unnecessary emotional distress.

“The delays in these cases stem from a government legal system, that appears to have a lack of streamlined legal procedures and inadequate government attention to accountability in cases relating to such issues.

“For those who are seeking their justice or compensation, it is often a system they feel is stagnated and working against them in an effort to force them to settle or worse give up. Victims and their families across Fermanagh South Tyrone and wider Northern Ireland deserve swift and transparent resolutions, not a system that exacerbates their suffering.