Review may find fewer than 200 cases

The number of cases that need to be reviewed of children taken into
care on the basis of disputed medical evidence may be fewer than
200.

The one-month survey carried out by the Association of Directors of
Social Services into 10,000 live cases handled by councils, due to
be published in the House of Commons this week, was expected to
reveal 40 in need of review.

It is expected that the full three-month review of around 40,000
cases will conclude that about 160 need to be looked at
again.

Children’s minister Margaret Hodge ordered the review after Angela
Cannings was cleared of killing her babies in December 2003
following doubts over medical evidence (news, page 6, 10 June).