A DOCTOR currently working in Swindon, has been cleared of serious professional misconduct after failing to see a child who died seven hours later.

Dr Paul Dryden, who also provided out of hours care in Swindon in 2000, was told the 21-month-old was wheezing, had dry shrivelled lips and had not drunk fluids for 24 hours. But Dr Dryden, from Cheltenham,failed to make a home visit, telling the parents to give him a bath and call back in the morning.

Dr Dryden, working for the Forest of Dean Co-operative Out of Hours Service, had relied on a colleague's diagnosis 14 hours earlier that the child had croup.

GMC committee chairman, Professor Ken Hobbs told the doctor: "On this one occasion three years ago your clinical history taking and assessment fell short of the standard expected.

"However, this was an isolated episode in an otherwise blameless career. Accordingly the committee find you not guilty of serious professional misconduct."