A case study of critiquing clinical decision-making within multiple paradigms

Abstract The well-known case of a higher trainee paediatrician Dr Bawa-Garba, who was convicted of manslaughter as a result of her role in the death of a young boy with Down’s syndrome, illustrates the differences of process and outcome between prosecution for gross negligence manslaughter, civil legal negligence, professional regulatory proceedings, and internal service inquiries. All the material given in the description that follows is in the public domain, released by the inquiries concerned. This chapter provides a real-world case of critiquing clinical decision-making in a manslaughter trial. It presents the clinical case, the legal case, and reflections on how the case was handled.