Baby P NHS trusts 'make progress'

NHS trusts criticised over Baby P failure have made 'significant progress'
12 April 2012

NHS trusts which were heavily criticised for their failure to protect Baby P have made "significant progress", a watchdog said.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) said it was satisfied systems for protecting children had improved at four trusts although work still needed to be done.

Baby Peter, from Haringey, London, had been seen by health services 35 times by the time he died in 2007 after suffering horrific abuse.

He sustained more than 50 injuries and died aged 17 months at the hands of his mother, her boyfriend and their lodger. The case led to heavy criticism of social care, with some staff losing their jobs as a result.

A report last year from the CQC criticised three trusts, particularly Haringey Teaching Primary Care Trust. It found system failures meant medical records were not shared between different health services and NHS workers did not properly alert social services and police to their concerns.

Since then the CQC has been closely monitoring Haringey and the North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust, which commissioned paediatric services from Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust.

Baby Peter also attended the Whittington Hospital NHS Trust on one occasion. The CQC made five key recommendations for improvements at the four trusts. On Tuesday, it said they had met three and had "almost met" two.

Pointing to areas where more work was needed, the CQC said staff vacancies should be closely monitored to make sure enough qualified paediatric staff were in place. For example, staffing levels of community paediatrics at St Ann's, Haringey, ranges from 70% to 91% of the recommended total, the CQC said.

"This fluctuation is due to staff joining, leaving and changing their hours," the CQC said. The vacancies, where possible, are currently being covered by the use of locums but the CQC said the trust must continue to recruit.

The watchdog also said efforts needed to be made to increase the number of clinical staff attending case meetings held my several agencies involved in children's care. Staff attendance at case conferences at Haringey and North Middlesex "is still poor and must be addressed".

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