Health official ‘did not monitor twins’

A HEALTH visitor accused of failing to properly monitor adopted twins had a smaller caseload than her colleagues.

One of the Romanian orphan twins died aged 14 months after suffering multiple fractures, less than four months after being adopted and taken to live in Portadown, Co Armagh, in July 2000, it was disclosed yesterday at a Nursing and Midwifery Council professional conduct hearing.

Thirteen days later his twin was taken to hospital with a fractured skull after being beaten by his father.

Twins David and Samuel were adopted under Romanian law by former overseas missionary Geoffrey Briggs and his wife.

By October 2000, David was dead. A post mortem was carried out but did not record a cause of death.

When his twin was admitted to hospital Mr Briggs admitted punching the child, and was later sentenced to two years imprisonment for causing grievous bodily harm. The child no longer lives with his adoptive parents.

Following this, David's body was exhumed and a post mortem discovered 27 partially healed fractures on his body.

Health visitor Claire McDonnell, 64, from Portadown, denies failing to visit the twins on a monthly basis, failing to maintain proper records, and falsifying records about the children after the death and injury.

She is also accused of having failed to refer the twins' family to a Child Protection Nurse Specialist (CPNS).

On the second day of the hearing in Belfast, Geraldine Maguire, assistant director of primary care at the Craigavon and Banbridge Health Trust where Mrs McDonnell was employed, said she returned from maternity leave in early 2001 and was made aware that the Briggs family case had not been referred by Mrs McDonnell to the CPNS.

She said she had been "alarmed" at this, adding: "The CPNS said she had not been aware of the case and was concerned about this."

She said that, in 2000/2001, Mrs McDonnell had a smaller caseload than her colleagues 228 children aged between birth and four, against an average of 274.

And she said Mrs McDonnell was involved simply in core health visiting work and had no duties with special groups.

Her caseload identified 13 children classed as high dependency in need of additional support and visits, against an average of 25 with other health visitors.

Asked by committee solicitor Mark Jefferson if Mrs McDonnell's workload was reasonable she replied: "I think it was, yes."