Consultant will not be charged after baby death

2:44pm Wednesday 23rd April 2008

A SOUTHAMPTON General Hospital consultant will not face any criminal charges after police carried out an investigation into an allegation of negligence.

The Crown Prosecution Service has today announced that no prosecution will be brought against Dr Rodney Gilbert who works as a children's kidney specialist.

He was the consultant in charge of the care of Joshua Taylor who died aged 15 months from having too much salt in his body, a condition known as hypernatraemia.

Dr Gilbert was key to the prosecution case against Joshua's mother Marianne Williams who was charged with murdering her son by giving him a lethal dose of salt.

She was cleared by a Winchester Crown Court jury in October 2006 of the murder and manslaughter of her son.

After the court case Wiltshire Police launched an investigation following complaints against Dr Gilbert by Marianne, now 25, and living in Hamble.

The police passed on their file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service who have now announced no further action will be taken.

During the investigation Dr Gilbert denied any wrongdoing and had the full support of hospital bosses as he continued to carry out his consultant duties.

Alastair Nisbet, of the Crown Prosecution Service said there was "insufficent evidence" for there to be any realistic prospect that Dr Gilbert would be convicted of any offence arising from his medical care of Joshua or from Marianne's evidence.

He added: "My review of the evidence also concluded that there was no realistic prospect that the NHS trust, or any other health professional involved in the care of Joshua, would be convicted of any offence."