News

Child abuse deaths are likely to have been missed by hospitals that have relied on a system that requires evidence beyond all reasonable doubt to be recorded, according to a report published today by the NSPCC, writes Paul Stephenson.

The report found that hospitals have only identified child abuse when firm evidence such as injury is in place, even though this is rarely the case. It further found that information about how children came to be in hospital and what happens following their admittance was often fragmented.

The report follows last year’s publication of Lord Laming’s inquiry into the death of Victoria Climbie, which called for clearer procedures in the NHS for doctors and nurses to document and share information about possible child abuse.

NSPCC chief executive Mary Marsh said: “The government needs to introduce a national standard for collating information relevant to child deaths as a result of maltreatment, as a matter of urgency.”


A Department of Health spokesperson said: "This report is based on information from 1998 to 2001, and since then we have taken a number of measures to improve safeguards for children. This includes plans to establish screening groups to examine
all unexpected child deaths.” She added that guidance on reporting concerns had been issued last year to anyone working with children.