3.6.3 General Practitioners, Dentists and Opticians

1. Notifications and Registration with GP's, Dentists and Opticians

As soon as a child is placed in the Children in Care Service, the social worker should arrange for the Health Trust to be notified within 24 hours, and to arrange for the child's Health Care Assessment.

The social worker must additionally ensure, for every child in care, that the child is registered with a GP within 7 working days of placement, Optician and Dentist by the time of the first review, preferably retaining registration with a practitioner known to the child. The social worker should liaise with the provider/carer to make these arrangements.

Details of the registration or any changes must be recorded, by the social worker, in the Placement Plan/Placement Information Record.

2. Appointments with GP's, Dentists and Opticians

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 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 record should be updated to take account of these appointments.

For children placed in foster care and residential care, these details must also be recorded in the relevant child's Record.