08/12/2009
Baby P Clinic "Understaffed"
A senior doctor who claimed that the clinic that treated Baby P was "understaffed", has been "taken seriously" for her views, according to an official report.
Peter Connolly, known for so long to the public as Baby P, died in tragic circumstances in 2007. Two days prior to his death the youngster visited St Ann's Hospital.
Doctors at a clinic there failed to spot a broken back in baby Peter, as according the report, they were under an "excessive workload".
Baby Peter then died from a catalogue of more than 50 injuries inflicted by his mother, her boyfriend and his lodger brother.
Dr Kim Holt, a consultant paediatrician, who warned about the way the clinic was run in 2006, said the 17-month-old baby could have been saved if managers had listened to her.
Dr Holt said she and three colleagues wrote an open letter detailing problems at the hospital's child development clinic - which was run by Haringey Council with doctors employed by Great Ormond Street Hospital Trust.
They claimed the clinic was understaffed and had a "chaotic" appointment system which was a risk to patients.
After the letter was sent, Dr Holt was removed from her post and she remains on 'special leave' on full pay.
However, the report published by NHS London found Dr Holt was taken seriously by the Trust and that its management made attempts to address her concerns.
It described Dr Holt as highly intelligent and committed, and added that communication between doctors and senior administrators needed to be managed "more effectively in the interests of patient care".
But it also said "genuine attempts" had been made to improve the situation after Dr Holt's letter.
The report's authors described the workload of consultants at the clinic between 2006 and May 2008 as "excessive" and said the consequences of cutting a consultant post "were not adequately considered" by management.
Dr Holt said: "We followed internal Trust channels, only going outside when they had been exhausted.
"I hope now that everyone will be able to learn from this report and move on. I want to contribute positively to improving services for children in Haringey, which was always my objective."
The British Medical Association (BMA) wants Dr Holt to be reinstated at the clinic.
See: Council 'Truly Sorry' About Baby P Death
(LB/BMcC)
Peter Connolly, known for so long to the public as Baby P, died in tragic circumstances in 2007. Two days prior to his death the youngster visited St Ann's Hospital.
Doctors at a clinic there failed to spot a broken back in baby Peter, as according the report, they were under an "excessive workload".
Baby Peter then died from a catalogue of more than 50 injuries inflicted by his mother, her boyfriend and his lodger brother.
Dr Kim Holt, a consultant paediatrician, who warned about the way the clinic was run in 2006, said the 17-month-old baby could have been saved if managers had listened to her.
Dr Holt said she and three colleagues wrote an open letter detailing problems at the hospital's child development clinic - which was run by Haringey Council with doctors employed by Great Ormond Street Hospital Trust.
They claimed the clinic was understaffed and had a "chaotic" appointment system which was a risk to patients.
After the letter was sent, Dr Holt was removed from her post and she remains on 'special leave' on full pay.
However, the report published by NHS London found Dr Holt was taken seriously by the Trust and that its management made attempts to address her concerns.
It described Dr Holt as highly intelligent and committed, and added that communication between doctors and senior administrators needed to be managed "more effectively in the interests of patient care".
But it also said "genuine attempts" had been made to improve the situation after Dr Holt's letter.
The report's authors described the workload of consultants at the clinic between 2006 and May 2008 as "excessive" and said the consequences of cutting a consultant post "were not adequately considered" by management.
Dr Holt said: "We followed internal Trust channels, only going outside when they had been exhausted.
"I hope now that everyone will be able to learn from this report and move on. I want to contribute positively to improving services for children in Haringey, which was always my objective."
The British Medical Association (BMA) wants Dr Holt to be reinstated at the clinic.
See: Council 'Truly Sorry' About Baby P Death
(LB/BMcC)
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