Doctor's advice on injured baby was ignored (From Haringey Independent)

Doctor's advice on injured baby was ignored

8:40am Wednesday 17th September 2008 in Health By Charlotte Gray

Experts who assessed "Baby P" before he died, believed they were dealing with neglect rather than abuse, it was claimed yesterday.

The 17-month-old child from Haringey was first admitted to hospital on December 11, 2006, eight months before he died in August 2007 with multiple injuries, the Old Bailey heard yesterday.

His 27-year-old mother, her 32-year-old boyfriend, both from Haringey, and Jason Owen, 36, from Bromley, are all on trial for the murder of the baby boy.

Senior paediatric consultant at the Whittington Hospital in Holloway, Dr Heather Mackinnon, assessed Baby P on December 12, for unexplained bruises to his head, chest and bottom.

She advised staff to call the police if his mother tried to take him home.

Commenting on his injuries she said: "My view was that it was the collection of bruises taken together which made this suggestive of non-accidental injury - the collection plus the lack of explanation."

But despite writing on her notes in capital letters "not to be allowed home, Police Protection Order if necessary", Baby P was released into his mother's care on January 26.

She said: "I was very surprised. I think there were a lot of people who felt perhaps sorry for the mother.

"There was a collective thinking that this was more likely to be neglect than serious injury but this was not my view."

Dr Mackinnon blamed a “system failure” for not receiving notes from the meetings which decided to send Baby P home.

Lawyer for the mother, QC Paul Mendelle, suggested Baby P often headbutted things, injuring himself, and would fall off the low sofa onto toys.

He said: “Would you not accept that the more young children there are in the household the more difficult it is to account for every bruise.”

He added: “Every child is unique. Some bruise more easily than others.”

In a taped interview with the mother when she was arrested on December 19, which was read out in court yesterday, she said: “I’ve never slapped him in his life and I never intend to.

“At the end of the day I’m a very good mother. I’m not the best mother but I’m a good mother.”