PRESS RELEASE
12th October, 2001
PROFESSOR REINSTATED
Professor David Southall, who has been suspended for almost two years from his post at the North Staffordshire Hospital NHS Trust during an investigation into his work, has been reinstated. A second consultant was reinstated earlier this year following a similar investigation. No case to answer has been found in respect of professional misconduct or incompetence. However, as in any investigation of this detail and complexity, there are lessons to be learned and these are being addressed in partnership with a range of agencies.
Announcing the decision, the Trust Medical Director Dr Pat Chipping said, “This investigation has been long and complex. It has required the collection and analysis of a huge amount of data over the entire period of the investigation. Two independent external panels have provided the reports on which I have based my decision. The reports will enable the Trust to address the concerns of complainants who have brought these issues to the attention of the Trust and we are in the process of contacting each individual concerned.”
“The investigation began when a series of serious allegations concerning child protection and research issues were made against Professor Southall in January 1999. Following some preliminary work carried out by independently nominated experts in these specialist fields, it was recommended that the investigation should continue under the Trust’s employment procedures. Professor Southall was suspended without prejudice as part of this process.
“Child protection work involves a number of agencies, including doctors, social workers and the police. Representatives of all of these agencies from across the country have taken part in a comprehensive review of cases in which Professor Southall was involved. Professor Southall’s child protection work has been examined by four independent advisors, nominated by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and the Social Services Inspectorate. In the cases they reviewed they found that Professor Southall always acted in a way that promoted the best interests of children under his care and that he took decisions in collaboration with colleagues from other agencies. They did not find evidence of inappropriate diagnosis.
“In the controversial area of covert video surveillance there is no evidence of its inappropriate use. It was always undertaken following full investigation and when all other diagnostic approaches had been used. Following the report by Professor Griffiths, Director of Public Health for the West Midlands Region, published last May, it has been recommended that covert video surveillance should, in the future, only be carried out under the supervision of the police. The Trust welcomes and endorses this recommendation.
“Professor Southall’s research programme from the time that he joined the North Staffordshire Hospital Trust in 1992 up until 1999 has been examined by an eminent academic Paediatrician, who was nominated by the NHS Executive West Midlands Office. The research report found that Professor Southall’s research addressed a number of important questions that were in areas of clinical and social sensitivity.
“Parental concern that CNEP may have lead to death or brain damage cannot be substantiated on the basis of the current information available to me. I am conscious that as a result of the Griffiths Report a long term follow up audit is planned to confirm or refute the long term safety of CNEP and the Trust welcomes and is collaborating in this audit process.
“Questions have been raised about consent issues in a number of the complaints. Concerns about consent were also raised in the Griffiths Report. The Trust has developed guidelines for good practice in obtaining informed consent in clinical research. These were implemented within the Trust in early 2000 with the intention that the guidelines will make the Trust an exemplar of good research practice and would inform national developments on these issues.
“The actual obtaining of consent from individual patients was not Professor Southall’s immediate responsibility. As part of the Trust inquiry, the issues of forged consent forms has been thoroughly investigated, even though these allegations did not concern Professor Southall personally. Through the Trust’s enquiries we can find no evidence to support allegations of forged consent forms.
“As the Griffiths’ Report concluded, Professor Southall had overall responsibility for the project and the development of the consent process. It is clear from our enquiries that he was sensitive of the need to, and the difficulties of, obtaining informed consent in research on babies and children. The Griffiths Report also concluded that arrangements for research governance in North Staffordshire in the early ‘90s were in line with the national guidelines at the time. These guidelines have now been improved to reflect current best practice.
“As a result of this extremely complex investigation into child protection issues, which has included a detailed review of the introduction and management of CVS in North Staffordshire, lessons have been learned, on how to improve practice for the future, not just applicable to individual consultants but to all professionals involved in these difficult and complex areas. The lessons learnt focus on the following key areas:
Ø The recording and storing of information relating to child protection issues
Ø The introduction and management of new techniques such as covert video surveillance
Ø The continuous improvement of inter agency working through robust collaboration and communication arrangements
“These matters have been discussed with Professor Southall.
“The Trust will work with the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and the Department of Health to ensure that the lessons learned from this inquiry inform future public debate. In particular the consultation document ‘Safeguarding children in whom illness is induced or fabricated by carers with parenting responsibilities’ is currently out for consultation and the Trust will respond with lessons learnt as a result of our investigation.
“The cost of this investigation has been around £750,000 but the majority of costs have been met by additional funding from the NHS West Midlands Regional Office. There will be those who criticise the time taken but this reflects the enormous complexity of the work that had to be carried out. When serious allegations were raised which the Trust recognised it had a responsibility to investigate we set in train the investigative process that has now been completed. The Trust is now in a position to respond to complainants who have raised concerns. I am fully satisfied that there is no avenue that we have not explored and that the findings of this investigation will inform public debate and lead to the continuing improvements of children’s services both in North Staffordshire and throughout the country.”
For further information or assistance please contact Mervyn Gamage, Communications Manager, on 01782 555061
12th October, 2001
PROFESSOR REINSTATED
Professor David Southall, who has been suspended for almost two years from his post at the North Staffordshire Hospital NHS Trust during an investigation into his work, has been reinstated. A second consultant was reinstated earlier this year following a similar investigation. No case to answer has been found in respect of professional misconduct or incompetence. However, as in any investigation of this detail and complexity, there are lessons to be learned and these are being addressed in partnership with a range of agencies.
Announcing the decision, the Trust Medical Director Dr Pat Chipping said, “This investigation has been long and complex. It has required the collection and analysis of a huge amount of data over the entire period of the investigation. Two independent external panels have provided the reports on which I have based my decision. The reports will enable the Trust to address the concerns of complainants who have brought these issues to the attention of the Trust and we are in the process of contacting each individual concerned.”
“The investigation began when a series of serious allegations concerning child protection and research issues were made against Professor Southall in January 1999. Following some preliminary work carried out by independently nominated experts in these specialist fields, it was recommended that the investigation should continue under the Trust’s employment procedures. Professor Southall was suspended without prejudice as part of this process.
“Child protection work involves a number of agencies, including doctors, social workers and the police. Representatives of all of these agencies from across the country have taken part in a comprehensive review of cases in which Professor Southall was involved. Professor Southall’s child protection work has been examined by four independent advisors, nominated by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and the Social Services Inspectorate. In the cases they reviewed they found that Professor Southall always acted in a way that promoted the best interests of children under his care and that he took decisions in collaboration with colleagues from other agencies. They did not find evidence of inappropriate diagnosis.
“In the controversial area of covert video surveillance there is no evidence of its inappropriate use. It was always undertaken following full investigation and when all other diagnostic approaches had been used. Following the report by Professor Griffiths, Director of Public Health for the West Midlands Region, published last May, it has been recommended that covert video surveillance should, in the future, only be carried out under the supervision of the police. The Trust welcomes and endorses this recommendation.
“Professor Southall’s research programme from the time that he joined the North Staffordshire Hospital Trust in 1992 up until 1999 has been examined by an eminent academic Paediatrician, who was nominated by the NHS Executive West Midlands Office. The research report found that Professor Southall’s research addressed a number of important questions that were in areas of clinical and social sensitivity.
“Parental concern that CNEP may have lead to death or brain damage cannot be substantiated on the basis of the current information available to me. I am conscious that as a result of the Griffiths Report a long term follow up audit is planned to confirm or refute the long term safety of CNEP and the Trust welcomes and is collaborating in this audit process.
“Questions have been raised about consent issues in a number of the complaints. Concerns about consent were also raised in the Griffiths Report. The Trust has developed guidelines for good practice in obtaining informed consent in clinical research. These were implemented within the Trust in early 2000 with the intention that the guidelines will make the Trust an exemplar of good research practice and would inform national developments on these issues.
“The actual obtaining of consent from individual patients was not Professor Southall’s immediate responsibility. As part of the Trust inquiry, the issues of forged consent forms has been thoroughly investigated, even though these allegations did not concern Professor Southall personally. Through the Trust’s enquiries we can find no evidence to support allegations of forged consent forms.
“As the Griffiths’ Report concluded, Professor Southall had overall responsibility for the project and the development of the consent process. It is clear from our enquiries that he was sensitive of the need to, and the difficulties of, obtaining informed consent in research on babies and children. The Griffiths Report also concluded that arrangements for research governance in North Staffordshire in the early ‘90s were in line with the national guidelines at the time. These guidelines have now been improved to reflect current best practice.
“As a result of this extremely complex investigation into child protection issues, which has included a detailed review of the introduction and management of CVS in North Staffordshire, lessons have been learned, on how to improve practice for the future, not just applicable to individual consultants but to all professionals involved in these difficult and complex areas. The lessons learnt focus on the following key areas:
Ø The recording and storing of information relating to child protection issues
Ø The introduction and management of new techniques such as covert video surveillance
Ø The continuous improvement of inter agency working through robust collaboration and communication arrangements
“These matters have been discussed with Professor Southall.
“The Trust will work with the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and the Department of Health to ensure that the lessons learned from this inquiry inform future public debate. In particular the consultation document ‘Safeguarding children in whom illness is induced or fabricated by carers with parenting responsibilities’ is currently out for consultation and the Trust will respond with lessons learnt as a result of our investigation.
“The cost of this investigation has been around £750,000 but the majority of costs have been met by additional funding from the NHS West Midlands Regional Office. There will be those who criticise the time taken but this reflects the enormous complexity of the work that had to be carried out. When serious allegations were raised which the Trust recognised it had a responsibility to investigate we set in train the investigative process that has now been completed. The Trust is now in a position to respond to complainants who have raised concerns. I am fully satisfied that there is no avenue that we have not explored and that the findings of this investigation will inform public debate and lead to the continuing improvements of children’s services both in North Staffordshire and throughout the country.”
For further information or assistance please contact Mervyn Gamage, Communications Manager, on 01782 555061
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