To feel sorry for this doctor?

[HarryStylesismycrack]

I am not in any way downplaying the death of that beautiful little boy and it is clearly acknowledged there were some failures by the doctor in question however AIBU to feel as though this intervention by the GMC into the independent decision making by the MPTS is concerning? It appears to me that the MPTS took into account many things, not just the outcome (which I completely acknowledge is heartbreaking), the fact that this doctor was working the job of several other medical staff in an unfamiliar environment with significant IT issues with no senior input. It feels like this doctor has been made a bit of a scapegoat for huge systemic failures.

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/jack-adcock-latest-downs-syndrome-death-doctor-hadiza-babwa-garba-struck-off-general-medical-council-a8177721.html

A different link to a blog by other medical practitioners 54000doctors.org/blogs/an-account-by-concerned-uk-paediatric-consultants-of-the-tragic-events-surrounding-the-gmc-action-against-dr-bawa-garba.html

The parents have lost enough calling them stupid is an awful thing to say I'm sure they thought they were acting in their son's best interest ,if nobody told them they shouldn't give the medication then how would they know how dangerous it was ? It's a tragedy all round

I couldn't agree more 2boys! My similar post earlier was deleted by mumsnet though

parents shouting their mouth off
What a disgusting response to bereaved parents.

We certainly weren’t using the sepsis 6 in 2011, was a good few years after that we started using it. Maybe 2015?

I was trained about it in great detail mid 2013. And I’m a mental health nurse. Anyway I digress x

Yes fluffy. Perhaps you’ve hit the nail on the head

The victim blaming of the parents on here is disgusting.

Exactly, FluffyWuffy. My earlier post along the same lines was also deleted - I completely get that the parents have lost a child, they are angry and grieving. But this doctor has been sacrificed on the altar of making do, coping, patching up inadequate rosters and stretching yourself too thinly - with no senior support at all. The consultant ultimately responsible for this child should have been so much more involved than he was, but is white and male so walks away untouched.

WinnieFosterTether I wouldn't have said this until I read the article earlier where they were keen to let everyone know they were heading to their poor child's grave with champagne to celebrate the doctor being struck off. Yes, they're grieving parents. No, that doesn't mean their actions are exempt from the judgment of others.

I'm not sure heading to the gravestone of their poor boy and engaging with the press is quite appropriate in light of the circumstances surrounding his death (multiple failings at the hospital, the drugs being a contributory factor etc).

As much as I understand they're grieving, they're also playing a significant part in a massive injustice to the medical staff who happened Tobe on duty.

Why don't the press have the name of the Manager in charge of staffing?
Why isn't the dr's superior being villified in the press?
Etc.

Oh, it's because it's easier to scapegoate the relatively junior unsupported Dr on duty and the nurse. Who happened to be female and presumably didn't have the protection a white older male Dr would have had!

Is it possible that the NHS could have used her as a scapegoat because if they held their hands up and said that they were responsible that it could cost them millions in compensation to the little boys family or am I far off the mark?
Regarding sepsis we lost a family member to it 9 years ago however it’s only been the last couple of years I’ve been more aware of it. I don’t work in the NHS so again I could be wrong but would it have been something they would’ve checked for in 2011?

Slightly going off topic - and I'm not referring to this case in particular - but I do think it is so unfair that patients and relatives can give their (often incomplete) version of events to media organisations and HCPs are unable to defend themselves publicly. I know of several cases where the stories in the newspapers were inaccurate at best and downright lies at worst. In every case it has ended the HCP in questions career - not because they were struck off or lost their PIN number/registration but because they became depressed and lost the will to stay in the NHS or they became virtually unemployable as their names had been splashed across the news.
The HCPs had absolutely no recourse even when they were found to have not done anything wrong. Newspapers who were very keen to splash stories of incompetent doctors and nurses across their pages became strangely reluctant to report that the HCP had been found to have done nothing wrong once any investigations were complete and verdicts handed down.

I understand why HCPs can't defend themselves publicly but that doesn't make it fair, particularly when the media spin these stories in such appalling ways.

doi.org/10.1136/bmj.j5534

The duty Consultants role in having Dr Bawa Garba struck off is chilling.

He was her senior and he was supposed to pick up issues that she may not have considered to be red flags - that's the whole point of having a duty Consultant.

He not only let her down that day but he appears to have shown absolutely no remorse or repentance because, days later, he made her write a reflective account of the event (in the hospital canteen of all places!) and then typed it up and entered it as evidence to the hospital investigation team.

A complete betrayal of his trainee and his patient......and then he buggers off to Ireland leaving the whole mess behind him 👿

I also know of a hospital where staff put in incident forms that drugs had been late due to staffing. Managers got the notes and prescription charts for that day and took action against the staff involved for giving the drugs late! Said if it happened again there would be formal disciplinary action/possible capability proceedings. Staff had to,write reflections about being accountable and the importance of giving drugs on time and had file notes in their personnel files.

Jack started to improve (as shown by the blood gas pH going up)

7.24 is still life threatening, it’s an improvement in the figure but don’t be fooled by that.

He was also reportedly much perkier, drinking from a cup, more chatty etc and seemed to be improving. The numbers always need to be put in context of the patient in front of you

Regardless of the context Blood should be 7.40 ph, with a tight parameter range of 7.35-7.45. Anything below 7.35 is life threatening.

At the end of day Jack's parents lost their beloved child and they may well be trying to find fault and blame I don't think it's particularly help blaming his mother for giving him a medication she thought was helping him its not going to bring Jack back , however its the fault of the CpS and GMC for taking it as far as they have it was a tragedy sadly waiting to happen.

I feel very sorry for her. The scapegoating the media baying for blood and the mother’s campaign against her was awful. The consultant’s lack of support. The horrible comments section in the daily mail - ill educated and racist with a mix of that Charlie Gard army thrown in. Yes. I feel very sorry for her

Fruitcider- most blood gases done in children are venous or capillary samples, in which case the normal range is shifted down compared to arterial samples.

Venous blood gas range is 7.32-7.42. 7.24 is dangerous whether arterial or venous.

I feel very sorry for her too but I'm a mother too objectively I can see it from both sides but as a parent it would be very hard .

Jack's mum is just looking for someone to blame imo , it wouldn't matter who it was .

I think that is easy to say in retrospect. But who is to say there wouldn't have been continued improvement if the correct treatment had been implemented?