17 June 2016
Trust's response to Verita report
Robert Woolley, Chief Executive of University
Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, said:
"We welcome the publication of the independent
report by Verita, which we commissioned to look at the way we dealt
with concerns raised by Ben Condon's parents after he died at our
hospital in April 2015. We accept the report's findings in
full.
"Our systems and processes didn't work for the
Condon family. We are saddened we missed too many opportunities to
proactively engage with Ben's parents, to fully answer their
questions and to really get a grip of their complaint. We are truly
very sorry for adding to Ben's family's distress and apologise to
them unreservedly.
"The Board will be going through the report very
carefully to build on the actions we have already taken. Actions
already undertaken include improvements to the support we provide
for families who may sadly experience the unexpected death of a
child in hospital. We will develop a comprehensive action plan to
address all the issues the report raises and oversee its rapid
implementation."
ENDS
Notes to editors:
- The Trust Board commissioned an independent investigation into
its management response to allegations about staff behaviours
related to the death of Ben Condon at Bristol Children's Hospital
in April 2015.
- One of the concerns of the Condon family was that during a
break in the child death review meeting, the family stepped
outside, and both the Trust's and Ben's parents' audio recorder
being used to record the meeting were left running. When the
clinicians realised this, one suggested that the recess discussion
be deleted. It wasn't deleted, and the parents were told discussion
continued whilst they were outside the room, but it raised concerns
for Ben's parents about a potential cover-up.
- Verita was unable to find evidence to either prove or disprove
a cover-up. Our own investigations show that there was no intention
to deceive, and no cover-up. However, the Trust acknowledges that
it is easy to see why the suggestion to delete the section of the
audio recording, combined with other missed opportunities in
communication, combined to undermine any trust the family had in
the hospital.
- The Trust acknowledges that suggesting that a section of the
audio recording be deleted was clearly a serious error of judgement
and it has been investigated and appropriate action has been taken
with the individuals involved.
- The Trust is committed to being open and transparent, and to
ensure that as many people as possible can access the information
in the report if they wish to, the report is available on its
website, signposted from the homepage.
BACK TO NEWS
