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Health professionals must take more responsibility for child protection issues and not rely so much on social workers, a report into Lauren Wright's death has concluded.

Commissioned by Norfolk Health Authority, the report into the six-year-old's death has found that a series of errors and lack of best practice led to a "failure to safeguard Lauren".

Poor communication, an over-reliance on other professionals and failure to pursue diagnosis are among its criticisms.

The report also warns that doctors must guard against professional arrogance and "a misplaced belief in their own skills".

"It should not be assumed that a paediatrician is always right and there is no need to consult with others," says the report.

Protocols should be set up to provide access to second opinions, Royal Colleges should address the problem of professional arrogance through training, and social workers should be helped to challenge doctors through training with health professionals.

Weeks before Lauren was killed by her stepmother Tracy Wright, she was examined by a paediatrician, Jonathan Dossettor, of Queen Elizabeth Hospital, in King's Lynn.

Acting on a referral from a GP, he diagnosed bruises on the child's body as non-accidental but, although he was not completely satisfied by Wright's explanation that they had been caused by school bullies, he did not pursue the matter.

He also failed to check with the social worker involved in Lauren's case that she was seeking an explanation for the injuries. Instead he waited to be contacted.

With up-to-date child protection training, he may have reached a different conclusion about the cause of bruising to Lauren, says the report.

Such training, highlighted as a key issue in the 45-page report, should not be "an optional extra" but essential for all health professionals engaged in services for children with at least part of it taking place on a multi-agency basis.

Chairman of the Norfolk Health Authority John Alston apologised for the "shortcomings in the diagnosis and treatment of Lauren Wright which contributed to her untimely death".

Accepting "without reservation" the findings of the report, he said: "It is clear that doctors need to take more ownership of child protection cases and that will require a rethink by the royal colleges and leading professionals."