Ava Mae Collard: Treatment of baby girl killed by parents under review

Paramedics found Ava Mae Collard in cardiac arrest when they arrived at her home

The care and treatment given to a baby girl killed by her parents is to be reviewed, a hospital trust says.

Ava Mae Collard suffered traumatic injuries which resulted in broken bones and severe trauma to her head.

Before her death she was treated at Alder Hey Children's Hospital where fractures to her collarbone "were not picked up", a judge said.

The Liverpool hospital trust said it was liaising with agencies to determine any lessons which could be learnt.

Joshua Collard and Rebecca Grocott were found guilty after a five-week trial

Five-month-old Ava Mae died in hospital a few days after she went into cardiac arrest at the family home in Stone, Staffordshire, in 2020.

Parents Rebecca Grocott, 27, from Stone, was jailed for eight years and Joshua Collard, 30, from Stafford, for 11 years on 27 July, after a trial at Stafford Crown Court.

Both were found guilty of causing or allowing the death of a child, causing or allowing serious physical harm to a child and two counts of causing unnecessary suffering to a child through assault, ill-treatment, neglect or abandonment.

Ava Mae was severely underweight when she died and had suffered 28 fractures to her ribs as well as her collarbone and femur, the trial heard.

A trauma to the side of her head had also caused an ear injury and she had bruises on her scalp, face and legs.

She was also subjected to repeated cannabis exposure.

At the sentencing hearing in July, Mr Justice Cotter KC told the court Alder Hey Children's Hospital should review its treatment of Ava Mae.

"It does not appear that a differential diagnosis of trauma to the ear was even contemplated," he said.

"Fractures to the clavicles, which were apparent on the X-rays, were not picked up," he added.

A spokesperson for the hospital trust said: "Alder Hey is reviewing the care and treatment that the trust provided to Ava and liaising with partner agencies relating to this case to determine any lessons which can be learnt."

It failed to confirm when the child was treated.

The parents were told they would each spend half of their sentences in prison before being eligible for parole

Ava Mae was known to children's services at Staffordshire County Council, which had carried out a rapid review into the case following her death.

This was followed by a thematic review which looked at a number of children, the authority said.

"Now that the criminal proceedings have concluded, the Staffordshire Safeguarding Children Board will ensure that all possible learning identified is acted upon," said chair Ian Vinall after Grocott and Collard were jailed.