Dr Heather Steen to be removed from medical register

The majority of the allegations against Dr Heather Steen were true, a tribunal ruled

A senior doctor is to be removed from the medical register after she was found to have attempted to cover-up the circumstances of a young girl's death.

Paediatrics consultant Dr Heather Steen was found to be unfit to practise after an investigation into the death of nine-year-old Claire Roberts in 1996.

A medical tribunal examining the doctor's case ruled that the majority of allegations against her were true.

Claire's mother said it was "just the start of getting full justice".

"I am angry at Dr Steen for putting us through 26 years of mental torment," said Jennifer Roberts.

"When we look back that night [when Claire died] we put our trust in doctors.

"We left Claire that night thinking we would see her in the morning.

"I will never forgive her."

Mrs Roberts described her daughter as "fun-loving, happy and full of energy".

'Acted dishonestly'

At the time of Claire's death, her parents were told she had a viral infection that had spread from her stomach to her brain.

But in 2018 a public inquiry determined that she had died from an overdose of fluids and medication caused by negligent care at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children.

The inquiry also concluded there had been "cover up" and the girl's death had not been referred to the coroner immediately to "avoid scrutiny".

• Timeline: From girl's death to dishonesty ruling

• Doctor found unfit to practise over child's death

Dr Steen had previously been found by the General Medical Council (GMC) to have acted dishonestly in trying to conceal the circumstances of Claire's death.

Dr Steen denied the allegations from the GMC.

Claire Roberts died in Belfast's Royal Hospital for Sick Children in 1996

The case was then put to the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS), which rules on doctors' fitness to practise.

When the case reached the tribunal stage Dr Steen twice applied to be voluntarily removed from the medical register and was twice refused.

Had that been successful the tribunal would have been halted as she would no longer have been a doctor.

However the tribunal continued and examined allegations that between October 1996 and May 2006 Dr Steen "knowingly and dishonestly carried out several actions to conceal the true circumstances" of Claire.

The tribunal concluded that many of the allegations against her were true, including:

• failing to repeat a blood test on two occasions

• misrepresenting to Claire's parents that the autopsy report had identified a viral infection as the cause of death

• writing an inaccurate letter to Claire's GP

• failing to accurately disclose medical information in a statement in 2005 for the coroner's inquest

• signing a death certificate when she knew she had insufficient information available about Claire's cause of death

• failing to report Claire's death to the coroner when she knew it was sudden and unexpected

Some of the allegations against her were not proved.

Claire Roberts's parents Alan and Jennifer took on the system - the Belfast Health Trust and the Department of Health - and they won.

The quiet, unassuming couple have fought for justice over the past 26 years.

While Jennifer has cried many tears, Alan has told their story with tremendous composure and compassion.

Claire was their only daughter and her parents said a light went out in their home when she died.

They were misled about the cause of their daughter's death.

With dignity they attended the Hyponatraemia Inquiry, which examined the deaths of five children in hospitals, including Claire's.

It was the longest-running medical inquiry in UK history.

The couple then took their case to the General Medical Council and finally the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service.

For years their lives have been dominated by news about Claire.

They never gave up. Their determination to get justice and to fight the system has been mammoth.

While the decision to remove Dr Steen from the medical register is a milestone, Claire's mum and dad say their fight will continue until everyone is held to account.

In its ruling, the tribunal said it took into account that "Dr Steen's dishonesty persisted between 2004 and 2006, culminating in her knowingly giving inaccurate evidence to the coroner's inquest into Claire Roberts' death".

The tribunal said that was done to conceal the true circumstances of the death.

It also said Dr Steen's dishonesty extended to concealing from Claire's parents the true circumstances of her death, despite their desire to discover what had happened to their daughter.

The tribunal said fellow practitioners would consider Dr Steen's behaviour in seeking to cover up the cause of Claire Roberts' death to be deplorable.

It concluded that Dr Steen's fitness to practise was "impaired by reason of misconduct".

The tribunal also ruled that Dr Steen's immediate removal from the medical register was in the public interest.