Adhd Island

[Snowflake]

Shocked to be asked series of questions by the triage nurse not related to the minor injury, WTF do they need to know if you all live together? for example.

 

Pfft thats nothing, my son had munched on some laxatives and the doctor asked if I was concerned about his weight - errrr what you sayin like?

 

My son did that too! Why do they make laxatives taste like chocolate?

[BigDave]

Shocked to be asked series of questions by the triage nurse not related to the minor injury, WTF do they need to know if you all live together? for example.

 

All standard procedure when it comes to kids. Some have complicated family arrangements so they have to make sure that everyone who should be legally informed is kept in the loop. Hence the quesion about whether or not they have a social worker assigned to them etc. To those whose lives are mostly conventional it seems intrusive.

[Addie]

Yeah, fuck that doctor for wanting to make sure you don't have cancer.

Okay, his timing was off, but it's not as if he was asking for something ridiculous.

**** that docter? Is that allowed these days?

 

Anyway he was a she. There are some women entering the medical profession these days, I believe.

[Cronky]

Some interesting remarks:

 

Aquarius:

]I have finally allowed them to " monitor " her to prove there is nothing wrong. They have worn me down and encouraged me to doubt my daughter so I felt I have no choice.

[/size]

 

Snowflake:

It seems like the authorities are scared of anything/one who doesn't conform to the norm must be curtailed.

 

Blade Runner:

Went to A&E couple of weeks ago late in the evening with my wife and son 10years old (had banged his head at school and came home with one of those what to do next, if-- sheets, which dont get me started on that one! but anyway he still had a headache).

 

Shocked to be asked series of questions by the triage nurse not related to the minor injury, WTF do they need to know if you all live together? for example.

 

BigDave

All standard procedure when it comes to kids. Some have complicated family arrangements so they have to make sure that everyone who should be legally informed is kept in the loop. Hence the question about whether or not they have a social worker assigned to them etc. To those whose lives are mostly conventional it seems intrusive.

The reason we have this attitude in the Isle of Man public services is because Tony Brown's 'government' adopted a children's policy from England called 'Every Child Matters'. This was originally brought in by Tony Blair who took the view that every child was at risk and so every parent had to be treated with suspicion. Hence big databases etc. etc.

 

As a result of this attitude social services in England, Wales and the Isle of Man became overwhelmed with referrals and the system went into meltdown.

 

The Coalition Government scrapped the 'Every Child Matters' policy and are now introducing a new policy called the 'Munro Review' which takes that attitude that some children are at risk - but most or not. So, if you concentrate your social services where there are problems you get a better result. I.e more child abuse cases detected - and less interference in normal families.

 

But it looks to me like old attitudes die hard and the staff in the Isle of Man are still over scrutinising people and needlessly pressuring them to get involved with social services.

 

The bit about A&E visits is a case in point. Asking every parent who takes their child to A&E if they have a social worker is intrusive and obviously going to cause bad feeling. Sure, if A&E get a kid in who they genuinely think has been abused then we would hope they would act appropriately. But treating every visit in this fashion is counter productive.

Edited May 25, 2012 by Cronky

[Roger Mexico]

The bit about A&E visits is a case in point. Asking every parent who takes their child to A&E if they have a social worker is intrusive and obviously going to cause bad feeling. Sure, if A&E get a kid in who they genuinely think has been abused then we would hope they would act appropriately. But treating every visit in this fashion is counter productive.

 

To be fair to the Hospital, presumably in certain circumstances they are supposed to tell a child's social worker if there is any sort of problem. But they can't do that unless they ask about every child that they see. I presume no one's suggesting that children with an assigned social worker should have wear a badge or special clothing. The parents of the 99% who aren't affected shouldn't get upset because everyone is asked - it's not implying you look like a child-beater..

 

In some circumstances it's sensible to have a check-list because worried and flustered parents may forget to tell you something important. Though it's also sensible to go through it tactfully and not let it delay any urgent treatment.

[Cronky]

The bit about A&E visits is a case in point. Asking every parent who takes their child to A&E if they have a social worker is intrusive and obviously going to cause bad feeling. Sure, if A&E get a kid in who they genuinely think has been abused then we would hope they would act appropriately. But treating every visit in this fashion is counter productive.

 

To be fair to the Hospital, presumably in certain circumstances they are supposed to tell a child's social worker if there is any sort of problem. But they can't do that unless they ask about every child that they see. I presume no one's suggesting that children with an assigned social worker should have wear a badge or special clothing. The parents of the 99% who aren't affected shouldn't get upset because everyone is asked - it's not implying you look like a child-beater..

 

In some circumstances it's sensible to have a check-list because worried and flustered parents may forget to tell you something important. Though it's also sensible to go through it tactfully and not let it delay any urgent treatment.

 

It seems fairly understandable, to me, that innocent people don't like being treated with suspicion.

 

True story, as told to me:

 

Friends of mine were playing with their grandson at the seaside. The boy fell on the rocks and gashed his head. So, off to A&E! When the parents arrived they were taken aside by the A&E staff and told that 'grandparents are silly' and the parents were not to leave the boy unattended with them.

 

It was a case of a simple accident that could happen to any kid at the seaside. But someone had to take the blame and the records had to show that remedial advice had been given and received.

 

Imagine how you would have felt if you had been that grand parent.

[HeliX]

Yeah, fuck that doctor for wanting to make sure you don't have cancer.

Okay, his timing was off, but it's not as if he was asking for something ridiculous.

**** that docter? Is that allowed these days?

 

Anyway he was a she. There are some women entering the medical profession these days, I believe.

 

Wasn't the profession that made me guess "he", it was the awkward sentence phrasing when talking about ladybits

[thebees]

I've been asked if we have a social worker, I accept that they have to ask this question and am happy to answer. Why wouldn't you be? Having a social worker involved with your family is not a bad thing, there are many people who NEED one who do not. The fact that social workers are helping a family is a positive thing, surely? My little friend was in care and his social worker was really nice & very good at his job.

[Shake me up Judy]

The fact that this question is asked at all, and to every parent, is a bit of a clue here to the wider thread isn't it.

[wrighty]

When I worked at Alder Hey, every child under 3 admitted with a fracture was seen by the paediatricians to consider the possibility of non-accidental injury. It was standard policy. Some parents didn't like it, as of course 'they' weren't child abusers, and ones (like me and everyone reading this!) that clearly weren't abusers were very quickly reassured that all was fine. The odd one where there was suspicion was fully investigated.

 

Nanny state, some may say. Pity the hospital that dealt with Baby P didn't have the same level of surveillance a few years ago.

[Cronky]

When I worked at Alder Hey, every child under 3 admitted with a fracture was seen by the paediatricians to consider the possibility of non-accidental injury. It was standard policy. Some parents didn't like it, as of course 'they' weren't child abusers, and ones (like me and everyone reading this!) that clearly weren't abusers were very quickly reassured that all was fine. The odd one where there was suspicion was fully investigated.

 

Nanny state, some may say. Pity the hospital that dealt with Baby P didn't have the same level of surveillance a few years ago.

 

Was it not a feature of the Baby P tragedy was that they were incompetent and missed very obvious fractures?

 

I would expect professional people to keep an open mind about any diagnosis. If it presents as abuse then follow it up. But the premise that every single child attending A&E might be at risk is over the top.

 

The 'tick sheet' approach sounds all wrong to me.

[wrighty]

The point is that staff are very worried about accusations of racism/classism/any other sort of discrimination. If you have a blanket policy of enquiry it is less likely things will get missed. Abuse may not present as abuse. I'd rather a few middle class parents were upset by polite enquiry than some poor kid be sent home to more abuse because everything looked alright.

 

Child protection is an absolute nightmare and I'm glad I'm not really involved in it. Several high profile paediatricians have had ruined careers over entirely spurious allegations made by affronted parents - look up David Southall for an example. Policies and 'tick sheet' approaches have to be in place to protect both children and involved professionals.

[Shake me up Judy]

It's wrong in several ways. What happens to this data that is collected on every parent that brings their child to the hospital ? How long is it kept for ? What assurances do we have ? Where do we draw the line on privacy, trust, freedoms and liberty, parental authority and responsibility ? Would those who see no inherent problem here be happy for health professionals or the police to have automatic right of access to their home for instance ?

[BigDave]

It's wrong in several ways. What happens to this data that is collected on every parent that brings their child to the hospital ? How long is it kept for ? What assurances do we have ? Where do we draw the line on privacy, trust, freedoms and liberty, parental authority and responsibility ? Would those who see no inherent problem here be happy for health professionals or the police to have automatic right of access to their home for instance ?

 

What data exactly? They ask bugger all really.

[We Like The Moon]

I can look back in humour now as it was a long time ago (at the time I was devastated)....I took my middle boy to nobles (a thing I would not do unless I was worried - I am doctor phobic personally) as he had chronic stomach pains....an hour later and lost in translation with several A&E doctors whose english was diabolical it ended up with a trip up to the childrens ward...in the space of two hours it had turned from stomach cramps, to a potential shadow on the lung....to breathing difficulties (he was grunting type thing due to the griping stomach pains). I was terrified my (as he was then) 15 month old boy potentially having breathing problems.........up in the childrens ward I was taken aside and asked if I had throttled my child, or if there was any chance my child had been throttled. I was horrified at the accusations being levvied my way....I had taken my child to the hospital with stomach pains and here I was being asked if I had throttled my child!!! Anyway - he was discharged when it was established I had not abused or attempted to murder my child....but this left a lasting and very negative impression on me as a young mum, I knew I had done nothing to my boy, yet the accusations and the stories you recall of mothers being accused of hurting their children, which after years of the mother being incarcerated are found to be untrue really weighed on my mind. Such was my paranoia, when he was proper ill about 6 months later (with gastroenteritis it transpired) I avoided the doctors for fear of further accusation, and ended up with a very ill boy who spent several days in hospital as an emergency. Older and wiser I would have done things differently if I could go back, but at the time, I was young and as I say, looking back I can sort of smirk about it - at the time it was very horrid indeed!