Victoria Climbie was murdered by her aunt and her boyfriend

Francis and Berthe Climbie said they did not want her death to be in vain. They urged Health Minister Patricia Hewitt to take responsibility.

The survey of NHS acute hospital trusts was conducted by Five News correspondent Catherine Jacob.

Victoria, who died in February 2000, had 128 injuries to her body.

Lord Laming, who headed the inquiry into the eight-year-old's death, said it was "unacceptable" that the system differed in its success across the country.

The government can give all the money it likes, but if the services do not communicate with each other, then it's logical - the child protection system will always fail Francis Climbie

Five News polled 175 NHS acute hospital Trusts across England and received responses from 62.

In each case the designated and named child protection doctors and nurses were asked whether the nine key recommendations of the public inquiry had been implemented.

More than two thirds of respondents - 71% - said not all of them had been introduced.

And just under half - 48% - said recommendation 78, which crucially states health professionals should work from a single set of records for each child, was still not in place.

Milburn's 'promise'

Mr Climbie, speaking from Abidjan on the Ivory Coast, said: "The government can give all the money it likes, but if the services do not communicate with each other, then it's logical - the child protection system will always fail."

He went on: "Yes, I have a message for the Health Minister. You are a representative of the Government. You can really change things.

Victoria's parents do not want her death to have been in vain

"If the people who work in your health system are unhappy, then the child protection system will not work. You must take responsibility for it. Protecting children is everyone's responsibility."

He said that when his daughter died the then health secretary, Alan Milburn, promised him and his wife that "her death would not be in vain".

"Do not let Victoria's death be in vain," said Mr Climbie.

Victoria endured months of torture and abuse by her great aunt Marie Therese Kouao and her boyfriend Carl Manning, despite being in the care of social services and police.

They were jailed for life in January 2001 for murdering the child.

The public inquiry headed by Lord Laming found child protection services had missed at least 12 chances to save her life.

The government later accepted all except one of his 108 recommendations.