The board of the Health Information and Quality Authority is expected to confirm today that it will undertake a statutory investigation into Ms Halappanavar’s death, following a request from the Health Service Executive.

Last night Savita Halappanaver’s husband Praveen’s solicitor, Gerard O’Donnell, said his client was “not ruling out” participation in the HIQA  inquiry. However, it was key for his client that it “sits in public, is open and witnesses are called”.

The Health Minister Dr Reilly is due to meet staff from Galway University Hospital today, when he attends a meeting in nearby Merlin Park Hospital.

A special board meeting of HIQA was held yesterday and is due to reconvene today. A spokesman would only say the board was considering the request received from the HSE.

Savita Halappanavar died at University Hospital Galway on October 28th, having presented with severe back pain a week earlier. She had been 17 weeks pregnant and was found to be miscarrying. Mr Halappanavar says she asked repeatedly that the pregnancy be terminated. This was refused, he says, as a foetal heartbeat was present.

Yesterday Praveen’s solicitor claimed that crucial information including repeated requests for a termination were not recorded in Savita Halappanavar’s medical records at the hospital.