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Doctor who treated Baby P was not told of suspected abuse
Robert Mendick, Chief Reporter3 Dec 2008
Social workers failed to tell the doctor who saw Baby P two days before his death that they feared he was being abused, the Evening Standard can reveal.
The blunder meant that paediatric consultant Dr Sabah al-Zayyat did not examine him properly, failing to spot his broken back. He was sent home and within 48 hours was lying dead in his blood-spattered cot.
A senior source involved in the investigation told the Evening Standard that if the basic information had been passed on to the hospital consultant Baby P would be alive.
The revelation is the latest blow to Haringey social services, whose director Sharon Shoesmith was removed from her post by Education Secretary Ed Balls on Monday for overseeing a string of "devastating failings". Five other staff have been suspended or banned from working with children over Haringey's failure to protect Baby P.
Dr al-Zayyat was sacked from her locum role by Great Ormond Street Hospital for failing to examine the child properly and suspended from practising by the General Medical Council while under investigation.
She concluded the child was "miserable "and "cranky" because of a common cold and sent him home, deferring examination for three weeks. It was the last occasion a medical professional would see the 17-month-old toddler alive.
But the Evening Standard has learnt that the doctor was never briefed on the child's background. Dr al-Zayyat believed the 17-month-old's boy's injuries, which were visible to the naked eye, were self-inflicted as his mother led her to believe he was self-harming. The source said: "It is unbelievable. Dr al-Zayyat was not aware Baby P was on the child protection register. It was basic incompetence that she wasn't told.
"If the doctor had known the baby was subject to a child protection plan it is inconceivable she would have allowed the baby to go home with his mother. She would have subjected him to a much more rigorous examination. If the doctor had known the child was at risk, Baby P would still be alive today."
Baby P had been referred to the Child Development Centre at St Ann's Hospital in Tottenham by social services over concerns he was being abused. He had been on the Child Protection Register for nine months.
He was taken to the hospital on 1 August last year by his mother and a friend. No social worker was present at the examination. But the source said today: "When the child turned up, the doctor didn't know why. She knew he had been referred by social services but didn't know it was for neglect or abuse. She thought baby P's behavioural difficulties and the head wound was caused by his own head banging."
Baby P's stepfather and mother have both been convicted of causing or allowing his death along with their lodger Jason Owen.
Dr al-Zayyat is contesting the termination of her contract and faces a GMC hearing next year.
Reader views (20)
Makes no difference if she was told. Poor baby p had horrendous injuries that included a broken back. What does this stupid so called doctor need a sat nav. Get real she probably out of her depth and should be sacked and struck off.
- Mike,, London, 04/12/2008 14:08
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Unbelievable she couldn't spot a broken back. This "doctor" is as useful as a typist who cannot actually type. Strike her off at once and don't pay the woman a penny in severance pay/compensation.
- Shirley, London, 04/12/2008 12:15
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What use to the NHS is a doctor who can't spot a broken back?
- Trevor Nelson, Cheshire, 04/12/2008 10:46
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She was there to do a job! In the first instance she should have noted how this child's behaviour ( Cranky and Miserable ) was a noticable indication of illness!
That is why he was there.........Whether or not she was told before hand that he was on the risk register. The hole point of her profession is to make children well, or hopefully diagnose a treatment that will help the child recover!
If my children were miserable I would have to seriously ask myself why! Though I have never been a doctor.....I would have thought this was common knowledge within her profession to understand how a baby feels uncomfortable in a wet nappy or too long in a buggy or not the right kind of food or alergies of some kind!
To have a child wait in the surgery for any length of time would make most children who were feeling a bit "off" Miserable and Cranky.......Let alone a poor baby with a few broken bones who was in desperate need of someone with common sense to save his life!!
Put her and all her excuses in a cell and throw away the key! If any other parent found their child had a broken back after seeing this ~Quak and not getting the correct treatment......She and the hospital would be sued for total negligence!!
We do not need her or her kind of treatments for any more kids.....Whether these ones are abused or not!
I am sure she will be interested in our thoughts and our DEDECATION to get her struck OFF! incompetent! Lacked the skills needed to qualify for this work!
- Valerie, Hanworth Middlesex, 04/12/2008 01:29
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I was in care before being fostered as an infant. So I am as much concerened about caring for children as all who have commented on this case. But are there too many similar charities, attracting enormous and highly-paid hierarchies?
In all walks of life - private and governmental - organizations which grow too large also grow in self-importance. And it might well be this, involving teritorial jealousy and rivalry, which can lead to deglect of real oblication to the cause for which they exist.
The abuse of children, by males and females in equal proportion, takes many forms, mental as well as physical. And we could mention using children as a principal source of income from state benefits as being one of them eg. where does personal responsibility begin and end?
- Peter Seekings-Foster, Mildenhall, Suffolk., 03/12/2008 20:54
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Sadly the reluctance of councils to take children into care is often dictated by cost. Maybe councils should spend less on stupid non-jobs like Equalities Officers and Translators and spend their budget as they are entrusted to by the tax paying public.
- Stewart Robertson, Wimbledon, 03/12/2008 18:28
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Mary, whats that?? she is not fit to be a paediatric doctor, shame on her. poor wee baby . ANNIE
- Annie, croydon, 03/12/2008 18:00
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The doctor should never work with children again,or be allowed to practice at all...all the people suspended at Harringey should be sacked with no severance pay or pension,further the most senior should be prosecuted for dereliction of duty..
- Jean, london.England, 03/12/2008 17:56
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Pathetic! Doctors examine and diagnose; not to do so is absolutely inexcusable.
- Joe M., Nova Scotia Canada, 03/12/2008 17:38
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As i understand it she refused to examine the child because the child was tetchy and miserable,well im no doctor but if i was confronted with a child in a hospital setting that was tetchy and miserable i would wonder why he was tetchy and miserable? my god any parent would let alone a doctor.As to her statement that she was told the child was self harming even more reason to examine him,how many 17 month old children self harm?
- Kev, london, 03/12/2008 17:20
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Smb, you're right, they do seem to be blaming each other and covering their tracks. The doctor is now looking for excuses.
What probably happened is that baby P was dirty (the mother apparently was in the habit of covering him up in chocolate to hide the bruises when social services visited), too dirty to pick up and examine. The mother got away with it one more time. No excuses for the doctor, she didn't do her job.
- Suzyd, Paris, 03/12/2008 17:02
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Perhaps she should have opened her eyes and used some common sense. What a pathetic excuse. We should all go to the doctor and tell them what is wrong with us.
- Mary, Hornchurch, Essex, 03/12/2008 16:18
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My husband and myself have left most of our estate to Great Ormond Street Hospital and althugh we do not plan to leave eartgh soon they will get it. However, if this person calling itself a children's doctor is reinstated then it will go to the dog's home. Even an amateur would spot a broken back and anyway I always thought doctors liked to find things out for themselves. She is an utter disgrace.
There and we had always believed that Great Ormond Street was the best.
Amber in Mitcham
- Amber In Mitcham, Mitcham Surrey, 03/12/2008 15:42
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A 17 month old self harming and she believed it. No hope there then!
- Phil, London, 03/12/2008 15:23
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So what? There is absolutely no excuse for this incompetant doctor.
- Jenny, san francisco USA, 03/12/2008 15:21
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Who's the senior sosurce? Dr al-Zayyat, herself?
- Sue Rochester, London, 03/12/2008 15:07
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Irrelevant! What sort of doctor can't tell if someone's got a broken back or not?
- Colin, LONDON, 03/12/2008 14:59
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Does it matter that she was not told???? She is a doctor and should have examined that poor baby regardless. Sending him away because he is cranky is inexecusable. Not examining any child because they are cranky is inexecusable. What did she expect? all children to be rays of sunshine when they are allegedly sick??? She should be struck off and never allowed near children again!
- Al, uk, 03/12/2008 14:43
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She did not examine him properly. I would have thought that was enough for dismal in any case.
- Frank, Home Counties, England, 03/12/2008 13:54
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There is so much back tracking in this case its unbelievable.
If they all had worked as hard on spotting signs of abuse, as they seem to be in blaming each other/covering their tracks, then indeed perhaps Baby Peter would be alive today!
- Smb, London, UK, 03/12/2008 13:41
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