Sheila Oliver's Campaigning Website

Emailed to  Pam Cox MP <pam.cox.mp@parliament.uk>; LADO@essex.gov.uk; Paul Turner - Director Legal & Assurance <paul.turner@essex.gov.uk>

Sun 03/08/2025 04:37

Child B

CQC - Colchester Hospital Failures – GI Care and Monitoring

Lack of Appropriate Medical Supervision During Strike Action
During the recent period of junior doctors’ industrial action, Child B has remained an inpatient on a paediatric ward at Colchester Hospital. Last night 2 August 2025 she had another collapse on standing, ward care appears to be left to a GP Specialty Trainee (GPST) without any visible evidence of consultant-level supervision. This is in direct breach of NHS England supervision protocols, which require GPSTs to work under appropriate senior oversight at all times—particularly on paediatric wards and during periods of staff shortage. Child B is a medically complex child with documented bradycardia, hypotension, neurodevelopmental disabilities, faltering growth, and ongoing pain. Leaving her without senior cover overnight represents a serious safeguarding and governance failure.i am particularly alarmed should this be the GPSTR commencing rotation in August as when i worked at GPVTS we were very clear on supervision requirements

2. Neglect of Ongoing Severe Abdominal Pain and Withheld Investigations
Child B was admitted on 19 July 2025 with ongoing abdominal pain, previously documented faecal loading, slow transit, bowel loops and a complex gastrointestinal history, including prior suspicion of Hirschsprung’s disease. Despite this, as of 3 August 2025, she has not received any abdominal scans, no imaging to assess bowel function, and no disimpaction has been carried out, despite clearly documented pain and historical recommendations. This constitutes a failure to act on red-flag symptoms in a child with faltering growth, and an unacceptable delay in care.

3. Misrepresentation of Colonoscopy Status
Child B's prior colonoscopy at Kings hospital was abandoned due to poor bowel preparation and was never completed. However, the current clinical summary has falsely labelled this as a "normal colonoscopy," despite this being factually and medically inaccurate. The procedure has not been repeated, and no follow-up has been arranged. This misleading documentation may result in inappropriate care decisions and is especially dangerous in light of her ongoing gastrointestinal symptoms and family history of bowel ulcers, inflammation and transit issues (gastroparesis) and IL6 which can suppress esr as below normal

These new concerns heighten the existing risk profile and illustrate an escalating failure in clinical safety, diagnostic follow-up, and safeguarding responsibilities within the paediatric service at Colchester Hospital. I request that this addendum be considered as part of the formal CQC investigation, and also copied to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) for urgent safeguarding review.