http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/health/health-news/murder-serious-case-review-into-baby-s-death-in-peterborough-1-6365023
19 October 2014
Murder: Serious
case review into baby’s death in Peterborough
Bosses
at the Peterborough Safeguarding Children Board (PSCB) have been asked to
ensure information is available in foreign languages following the murder of a
Lithuanian baby.
Safeguarding
bosses in Peterborough have asked for assurances translation services at the
Bretton hospital are available for patients who speak foreign languages.
The
call came after the death of Aukse Medvedevaite who was less than two months
old when she was murdered by her father, Aurimas Medvedevas (23) at their home
in Clifton Avenue, West Town, Peterborough on 5 September 2014.
In
their review of the case, published this week, the PSCB said: “The PSCB should
seek reassurance from the Peterborough & Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation
Trust that key information is available, and is distributed, in the main
languages which correspond with the population mix in its catchment area.”
The
report said all the documentation given to Aukse’s mother, Dzesika Urbikaite,
was in English, which she found difficult to understand, and no interpreter was
‘engaged’ during her interaction with health professionals.
Sam
Hunt, Named Nurse for Safeguarding Children at Peterborough and Stamford
Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Our antenatal clinic teams are clear on
the need to offer both interpreters and translated patient information to women
if they suspect this would have a greater benefit, even to those women and
their partners who speak a fairly reasonable standard of English.”
The
report said the death of Aukse could not have been predicted by any agency, and
midwife and GP services given to the baby and her mother, was appropriate.
The
report added when Aukse arrived at accident and emergency on the day of her
death, the ‘immediate procedures, emergency response, and support for the
family were all carried out in an appropriate and professional manner.’
Factfile
Communication
with police important
Along
with raising issues about translation, the report also said: “The PSCB should
seek clarification that Police and other agencies are notified as soon as
possible in regards to all Sudden Unexpected Childhood Deaths and that there is
no practice or procedure which could potentially create a delay in making such
a referral.”
Sam
Hunt said: “We are reviewing our procedures around Sudden Unexplained Childhood
Deaths and will work with our frontline staff to ensure they are made fully
aware of any changes.”
A
spokesman for Cambridgeshire police added: “We welcome the publication of the
serious case review and will be working with partner agencies to ensure its
recommendations are carried out.”
Aurimas
Medvedevas was given a life sentence, and told he would serve a minimum of 22
years behind bars after admitting the murder of his defenceless baby.
A
court heard Aukse had suffered injuries comparable with a car crash in a brutal
assault.
He
originally denied murder, but part way through a trial at the Old Bailey in
London made the dramatic guilty pleas.
