Hospital A&e And Cp

[Rea]

Is anyone else surprised that hospitals dont routinely check children against the child protection register?

I hadnt really ever thought about it but am baffled after hearin git on the news, that it doesnt already happen. So often the child deaths that appear in the media tell of a catalogue of injuries that I suppose I presumed there would be a warning system in place a bit like the police have to flag up veichles with no MOT, insurance or registered keeper.

 

I find it very odd.

[Cait]

Yes you have a point, and I've thought this too sometimes - when the 'baby P' thing was all the news and they were saying his catalogue of injuries.

[Guest Wolfie]

Our authority has just published the findings of a serious case review and I'm sure that this "gap" was mentioned in the findings as needing to be remedied.

[Marion]

I'm almost certain they do in my area

[sunnyday]

Is anyone else surprised that hospitals dont routinely check children against the child protection register?

I hadnt really ever thought about it but am baffled after hearin git on the news, that it doesnt already happen. So often the child deaths that appear in the media tell of a catalogue of injuries that I suppose I presumed there would be a warning system in place a bit like the police have to flag up veichles with no MOT, insurance or registered keeper.

 

I find it very odd.

I had no idea that this was the case.

 

How sad and frustrating is that?

 

It would just seem like basic common sense to me, but then that sometimes seems to much to ask.

 

sunnyday

[HappyMaz]

On the one hand I'm surprised because it would be easy and discreet to check every child who gets admitted to A&E. Although thinking about that, isn't the idea that you only check when you have suspicions about a child's welfare? And who is authorised to access the database? - I know that our Authority suggests three people in each setting would be authorised to do so but have no understanding of who in a hospital is authorised to make checks.

 

I wonder if the Civil Liberties lobby has a view on this - I'm sure some would see it as an invasion of privacy to have a check like this carried out on their child and family. I'd be interested to know what the protocol is for deciding whether it is necessary to check the status of a child and at what level this decision must be taken. And once the decision is taken to make a check, is the authorised person obliged to tell the parents of the child concerned?

 

I think on balance, my opinion is that a routine check on every child when they are admitted to A&E would go a long way to preventing another Baby P from happening, but I know this is not the only factor in what is - or can be - a complex interweaving of procedures and processes involved in identifying children who are at risk and keeping them safe from further harm. Certainly I'm not sure how I would live with my conscience knowing that I did not take the chance to check a child's status only to find they were later seriously harmed or killed.

 

Maz

[Rea]

I understand your point Maz about being authorised etc but if a child goes to hospital you have to check them in at the desk. Why then does the system not flag up when a child is admitted again and again. I know my brother and my cousin would have had the alarms ringing all the time when they were little if such a system had existed, they were always getting into scrapes, but a system that allows at least for someone to start asking the right questions or alerting the right authorities would seem sensible I'd have thought. Afterall, in our settings we have proceedures to follow if we have concerns, we log them, observe and record and then follow set proceedures. Why would a hospital not have to do the same.

 

But like sunnyday says, common sense seems to much to ask for.

[Guest]

at our local hospital they do make some sort of check because the nurse who assessed my youngest son on his last visit filled out a form which had some link to Social Services. On one hand I was a bit taken aback but on the other hand was quite impressed that they were concerned. It didn't help when we were shown through to the cubicles and my son said at the top of his voice "mum, this is the cubicle I was in last week!". We had been there 3 times in the same number of weeks so maybe that triggered something.

[aliamch]

When Alice was younger, every winter we were regulars at the A & E as she'd get a cold which would escalate into chest infections, breathing difficulties etc... after three visits we would be 'invited' to see the health visitor to discuss her health. Recently my sister took my nephew to A&E and the nurse mentioned it was his 12th visit; my sister thought she be asked about it or be contacted by her H.V.but nothing yet.

Karrie

[Inge]

I understand your point Maz about being authorised etc but if a child goes to hospital you have to check them in at the desk. Why then does the system not flag up when a child is admitted again and again. I know my brother and my cousin would have had the alarms ringing all the time when they were little if such a system had existed, they were always getting into scrapes, but a system that allows at least for someone to start asking the right questions or alerting the right authorities would seem sensible I'd have thought. Afterall, in our settings we have proceedures to follow if we have concerns, we log them, observe and record and then follow set proceedures. Why would a hospital not have to do the same.

 

But like sunnyday says, common sense seems to much to ask for.

 

Having worked in an A&E many moons ago.. if there were repeat visits to the same department it is obvious in the childs notes/ records.. every visit is recorded and what treatment etc..one glance and they know how often and what visits are for........

 

the difficultly comes when they visit different hospitals for emergency treatment and it is not linked , so several repeat visits could be missed....

 

It was pre computers when I worked in one.. shows how long ago now. but we had the option of a phone number for a check if we were worried. But it was up to department/dr to decide if it warranted a call. Would be easier these days, but still would rely on someone being worried enough to check.

 

But then again are you told as as setting if you have a child on the register?

We were not, and only found out when we had a visit, by chance, from a social worker and in another case after the child had left..

Parent did not disclose, and really could not find myself wanting to specify this question on a registration from for all...or ask every parent we met.

 

In both these cases we had no worries, but one incident with us, may have been the last of a long line, but we being unaware of previous problems could see it as a one off and not have the alarm bells ringing.

 

No matter how vigilant or worried anyone becomes it all comes back to recording, and a multi agency approach who actually talk to each other .

 

Inge

[velvet]

When my eldest was 2 she fell of the sofa and ironically cut her temple on a toy hospital she had to go to hospital for it to be glued together, this was the first time we had had to take her to A&E and 2 days later I received a phone call from my H.V asking if she was ok now and how I was doing etc.

[HappyMaz]

I understand your point Maz about being authorised etc but if a child goes to hospital you have to check them in at the desk. Why then does the system not flag up when a child is admitted again and again.

I think this system already does - I remember taking my son to the hospital when he'd hurt his wrist only to be told "oh he's had a busy week - you were at the doctor's with him weren't you?". I was a bit taken aback (must have been 8 or so years ago) but clearly in our Health Authority all the computerised systems were linked together.

 

I guess the question I was asking was what the protocol for making checks about children are. Do we get worried after two incidents, three or four or more? Does the system get triggered automatically after a number of injuries/incidents or is there an element of human judgement here? For example, you might come to a very different conclusion about a child who comes in every couple of months or so with injuries sustained whislt playihg at home compared to a young lad who arrives every so often in muddy rugby kit with a sprain or concussion.

 

If we knew how the database was being used we could feel more confident that our children were being looked out for - and as parents we'd know to expect the phone call or knock at the door, and why.

 

Maz