Updated statement relating to media stories about a former staff member

A spokesperson for Great Ormond Street Hospital said:

These charges relating to a former member of GOSH staff are awful.

It was upsetting to hear from court today that some of the charges relate to the hospital site. However, it is important to stress, as stated by the judge today, that children at GOSH were not being targeted.

We will continue to support the police as they progress the case but we know many people will have concerns and questions.

Due to the ongoing legal proceedings we are really limited in what we can say but we can confirm again that Paul Farrell was dismissed from the Trust.

Safeguarding is fundamental to the care we provide. We review our safeguarding policies regularly and they are in line with national best practice and we have a dedicated safeguarding team who are the point of contact for all concerns and referrals. All our staff are required to carry out safeguarding training appropriate to their role.

We urge anyone who has concerns about this case to call the helpline that we have set up with the NSPCC on 0800 101 996 or to email help@nspcc.org.uk. There's a page with more information on our helpline here.

Our former statement can be found here.