The bereaved parents of Warminster boy Sean Turner say they are making progress in their mission to make Bristol Children’s Hospital safe for other children, following the first meeting with the chairman of a new inquiry into the hospital.

Yolanda and Steve Turner and other families with complaints against the hospital met Sir Ian Kennedy last Wednesday to discuss the review into the hospital’s services.

The meeting was arranged after NHS England Medical Director Sir Bruce Keogh ordered a fresh investigation into the hospital last month, after speaking with ten parents whose children had died following operations.

He asked Sir Ian, who also led the inquiry into the deaths of dozens of babies at Bristol Royal Infirmary in the 1990s, to carry out a new independent review of the hospital.

Mrs Turner said: “Nothing yet has been agreed yet as it was a preliminary meeting.

“We are waiting for the terms of reference having given Sir Ian a document with what the parents believe are the issues at the hospital.

“We are due to meet him again on March 25 where the terms of reference to the investigation will be agreed by all and then we will go forward from there.

“Sir Ian said the review will be quite public and he hoped there will be six-monthly reviews afterwards.

“We are making some progress. It has taken two years, but we are getting there. There have been many missed opportunities at that hospital and they need to learn from their mistakes.”

Sean, four, died in March 2012 from a brain haemorrhage after previously suffering a cardiac arrest six weeks after having heart surgery at the hospital.

Mr and Mrs Turner, who heard at an inquest in January how staff failed to pick up signs of his worsening condition on Ward 32, let off balloons in memory of Sean on the anniversary of his death on Saturday.

After the meeting, Sir Ian said: “I feel a great sense of sadness that I find myself here in Bristol – 13 years after my initial report – hearing once again the anger and distress of parents.

“The families want a robust independent process.

“We have made good progress in finding the way forward.”