1.5.2 General Practitioners, Dentists, Opticians and Hospital Appointments

Contents

1. Introduction
2. Notifications and Registrations
3. Appointments
4. Recording

1. Introduction

All young people must be registered with a GP, dentist and optician in the area. All young people must have a Health Care Assessment, which must be arranged before the young person's first Looked After Review and then annually. As part of these healthcare assessments, young people should have dental check and sight tests. See Health Care Assessments and Health Care Plans Procedure

All staff have a responsibility to ensure that all our young people receive the best possible health care and advice. Therefore, if a young person refuses to attend for the check-ups staff must encourage them through positive re-enforcement and education, to attend.

In a residents file there should be a completed parental medical consent form. This is extremely important should the need for urgent or emergency medical or dental treatment occur.

For young people to receive particular advice, intervention or treatment, separate permission must be gained, in writing from all those with Parental Responsibility i.e. for contraceptive advice, HIV testing, medicals etc. See separate guidance in Consents Guidance

Any visits to doctors, dentists, opticians or other health professionals should be recorded in the relevant section of the Schedule 2. They should also be recorded, along with any treatment details on the young person's medical record sheet.

It is important that we take an active role in promoting all aspects of a young person's health, this should not be restricted to treatment of illness but also include education about alcohol, substance abuse, smoking, sex, and sexually transmitted diseases, H.I.V. and AIDS etc. Education can take a number of forms i.e. informal talks, information/training packs etc.

2. Notifications and Registrations

When a child is placed in a home, the social worker must arrange for the Health Authority, in the area where a child is placed, to be notified of the placement.

The Manager of the home should arrange for the following:

• For the child to be allocated with a Link Worker (Keyworker) who will be responsible for promoting his/her health and educational achievement, liaising with key professionals, including the Clinical Nurse Specialist, the child’s GP and dental practitioner. The Link/Keyworker will also be responsible for ensuring that up to date with information is kept on the child in relation to his/her health needs, development, illnesses, operations, immunisations, allergies, medications, administered, dates of appointments with GPs and specialists (see Linkworker Guidance).
• For the child to be registered with a GP no later than 10 working days after the child is placed
• For the child to have access to a Dentist in the home's locality no later than 20 working days after the child is placed.
• For the child to be registered with an Optician in the home's locality.
• For a Health Care Assessment to be carried out in relation to the child within 14 days of the child's placement, as set out in Health Care Assessments and Health Care Plans Procedure.

Details of the registration or any changes must be recorded, by the social worker, in the Placement Information Record, a copy of which must be forwarded to the home, at the latest, within 14 days of the placement.

Additionally, the child's Medical Record should be updated.

3. Appointments

If children appear to require or request it, appointments should be made for them to see their GP or other medical practitioners as appropriate.

When appointments are made, account should be taken of the child's wishes, for example, to see a practitioner of a preferred gender.  Also, appointments should preferably be made which do not disrupt the child's education.

Parents, those with Parental Responsibility and the child's social worker should, if possible, be consulted before making appointments; and they should be informed of the outcome.

See: Consents Guidance

As appropriate, the child's Chronology or Essential Information Record should be updated to take account of these appointments.  Care should be taken to ensure that the top copy, held by the social worker, and the copy held in the home are updated.

Additionally, the child's Medical Record should be updated.

4. Recording

All children have an internal Clifford House Health Care Plan incorporated into their Placement Plan. This should be kept up-to-date with all relevant information regarding the child's health care and should include information regarding significant illnesses/accidents and injuries.

Each child's file should also contain a Parental Medical Consent Form. This is extremely important should the need for urgent or emergency medical or dental treatment occur. For guidance on consents see Consents Guidance

Any visits to doctors, dentists, opticians or other health professionals, which should include all significant illnesses, accidents or injuries to children, should be recorded in the relevant section of the Schedule 3 Section of their file. They should also be recorded, along with any treatment details on the child's Medical Record Sheet.

If the young person has been involved in an accident it must be recorded as set out in 'Recording All Accidents' Accidents Procedure

End