Grandparents caring for children

ab7167

Afternoon,

I have recently returned to work after having a baby. My mother-in-law is caring for my daughter 2 days a week, including the night inbetween - so she is at Grannys from 7am on Tuesday to 3pm on Wednesday.

Do I need to write some kind of letter so Gran can take her to hospital / doctors etc. without me being there. Obviously we hope this won't be necessary, but I don't want urgent care for her delayed if they can't reach me or my partner. We both work in offices, but have to do site visits, so there may be times when both of us are uncontactable.

If so, what kind of format should this take?

Ta muchly in advance,

Ali

hardpressed

It would be a good idea, my local surgery for example needs written consent if anyone other than either of the parents or the child's legal guardian takes them for routine injections. Just something along the line of 'We give consent for ......MiL's name to take.......child's name for hospital and doctors appointments and any necessary treatment'. Include your address, child's full name and date of birth and both you and your partner sign it. It might be worth you contacting your surgery and getting them to put it on her notes so that MiL doesn't have to take consent with her every time. Then she can keep the written copy for emergencies.

Mojisola

ab7167 wrote: »

Do I need to write some kind of letter so Gran can take her to hospital / doctors etc. without me being there. Obviously we hope this won't be necessary, but I don't want urgent care for her delayed if they can't reach me or my partner.

The letter would be useful for routine trips to the GP but I can't imagine that a hospital would ever withhold urgent care just because the parents aren't there.

mishmash

Hi

Urgent medical treatment for your child should not be an issue, the thing about parental consent generally comes into play for routine medical things like when they have immunisations. The person with PR needs to sign consent forms (so normally mum or dad (not always though) .

I really do not think you need to worry. My Mum has taken all my kids to the doctors and dentist, stood in at parents evenings and even signed consent forms for school trips. My grandparents were once with my son, he became ill called the doctor out and he was rushed into hospital with meningitus (he's okay now) there was no issue with consent or PR.

Mish

mookiandco

Technically only those with parental responsibility (ie mum and dad if his name is on birth certificate and he was present at registration or you are married or there is a Court Order or PR agreement) can consent to medical treatment. However, in reality treatment will be undertaken in an emergency and the person with care of the child at the time can give their consent.

panpipe

mookiandco wrote: »

Technically only those with parental responsibility (ie mum and dad if his name is on birth certificate and he was present at registration or you are married or there is a Court Order or PR agreement) can consent to medical treatment. However, in reality treatment will be undertaken in an emergency and the person with care of the child at the time can give their consent.

I think this post sums up what I was going to say - it seems to me that although commonm sense should usually prevail in an emergency situation, you might find yourself with a stickler for the rules that won't give treatment unless a parent is there.

My mum is a registered childminder and recently had to take one of the children in her care to A&E after cutting his head in a fall at school. (Incidentally she first tried our local surgery but they wouldn't see him as he wasn't registered with them :mad: ). She took all her official paperwok with her, including National Childminding Assoc. and Ofsted approved contracts and consent forms, but the hospital still said they needed an actual parent to be there. Luckily the sister in charge that day was the parent of another of the children mum looks after so he eventually got to be seen.

Sorry I don't want to scare you but felt I had to point out the rare occasions that this can happen...

cazziebo

I second what Panpipe says..

My DD2 fell out of a tree and broke her arm whilst under the care of my childminder. The hospital would not operate until I arrived at the hospital, which was several hours later as I'd been away on business that day (and hadn't left a contact number )

Because she was waiting for surgery, DD2 had been given only water and was fiercely hungry and not best pleased at me..

Wouldn't do any harm to have a letter from you.

Bitsy_Beans

My mum had my son for 3 days a week. I must admit it never even crossed my mind to have a letter prepared. To be honest if my son needed to see our GP I or my H would have had to have time off to take him as I don't think it was a role my mum should have to fulfill. Likewise if he ended up in A & E - I'd have been there like a shot anyway so not really necessary (and I work in an office, no travelling etc).

ab7167

Thanks for all the advice - will probably write a letter for her and attach a copy of her birth certificate and my and OH's business cards with contact details, so everything is in one place.

There will be no issue with routine appointments, MIL lives about 30 miles from us (which is why Eira stays overnight, it's too far to go every day), so all her routine appointments will be on days I don't work and I will take her myself. It was more the emergency care that would be an issue, especially as the A&E department local to MIL is a long way from the office of either OH or myself. OH is named on the birth certificate, and Eira has his surname, which is also the surname of MIL, so should be no issue proving the relationship - it is a very uncommon surname!

Apart from that, I don't think there is anything else we can do - she's only 10 months old at the moment, so hopefully no falling out of trees yet. SHe is learning to walk, however, so cut heads on table corners is a distinct possibility!

I'm assuming that no doctor would withold life saving care e.g. the meningitis mentioned above!

Thanks

Claire_Jones_3

I'm a childminder and we cannot give permission for treatment. e.g injections - where I live we have a little book which is signed by the parent agreeing to injections. As far as emergency treatment is concerned (e.g A&E) we again cannot give permission, but if it is life threatening and treatment is required immediately then the doctor will make the decision to go ahead with treatment or not. As a childminder (even with parental permission) we cannot sign agreement forms for operations/treatment etc. I am only allowed to deal with minor injuries - cut knees, brusies and the like