HEALTH services bosses have said they had a “training issue” after mistakenly writing in a report how vulnerable children had been put at “extreme risk”.

Thurrock’s Clinical Commissioning Group wrote in a board meeting report that vital medical assessments that determine whether a child has been abused were not being completed and categorised the risk as “extreme”.

Soon after the group denied the information claiming it was a “mistake”. When further questions were asked, the CCG claimed to have identified “a training issue” and the risk was in fact “theoretical”.

A spokesperson said: “The CCG will be ensuring that further training is provided and the risk register has been updated.

“The process is audited each year and the current report was satisfactory with no recommendations

for improvement.

“The child protection medical examinations risk was added to the register on August 1, 2018, that primarily related to the capacity within the children safeguarding team and the theoretical

risk that could occur should the CCG not properly address it.

“Similar risks have been included in previous year’s registers.

“In terms of this risk, the provider of this service has given assurances that, all assessments are completed in line with national guidance 24 hours.”