Your trusted GP?
Back in January this year a young baby, one of our patients, died whilst waiting in A&E. It was unexpected but actually no great surprise. The poor mite had been born with a number of severe heart defects which skilled surgeons were doing wonderful things to fix but only a few at a time.
I have just received "Form B" from them upstairs.
On the front page it says:
"Each agency representative is to complete this form by summarising information available within their agency. Each representative should complete only those sections for which they have information. The CDOP manager will collate the information from the different agency reports to provide an overall case record. This collation will be agreed at the local case review or by the individual agency representatives in consultation with the CDOP manager.
Let's fast forward to page 4:
"Factors in the family and environment:
Include comments on family structure and functioning; wider family relationships; housing; employment and income; social integration and support; community resources.Include strengths and difficulties."
Had enough yet? No?? Page 8 then ...
Is either parent a smoker? Was the baby an asylum seeker? Are the mother and father related to each other (excluding marriage)??
It stops at page 10.
After the death of Victoria Climbie, the NHS spent millions and millions on a massive change on child protection procedures in GP surgeries, most of which would not have stopped Victoria's "aunt".
After Shipman, the NHS spent millions and taking Class A drugs out of GP surgeries because they made the paperwork so awful that it was easier not to bother. Another huge system upheaval not because the system didn't work, but because individuals in the system failed in their duty of care. I can only surmise that this form is a result of the baby P case.
Officialdom's response to a failure is to change the system but it's the people that don't do their jobs that's usually the problem.
Anybody could.
Somebody should.
Nobody did.
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