Advice please

[louise2778]

Just a bit confussed as I am going through my policies. I have made a start on them and am doing well but am not sure what to do about this one from the bromely site:

Permission to seek Emergency Medical Treatment.

I/we authorise ______________________________to administer first aid assistance to my/our child named below as and when necessary, or in the event of an emergency to seek medical/hospital assistance in our absence as appropriate. I/we will provide her/him with up to date details of contact numbers.

I/we understand that you will not be able to authorise any treatment and that I/we as the child’s next of kin will be contacted by the medics in the event of an emergency to give permission, or in a life threatening situation the medics will act in their professional capacity.

I thought after reading other threads that as long as we had signed permission from parents we could authorise treatment but now looking at this I dont know. :panic:

[ma7ie]

I understand it as saying we are able to seek emergency medical treatment say if the child was run over but we couldn't authorise any operations. So the doctors can do anything that doesn't need a signature from us. Only the parents can make decisions like that. Does that make sense.

[louise2778]

I just wonder then where you draw the line. What if the parents cant be contacted.

What can I consent to, if anything. Its quite a tricky one as I dont want to have a policy that lists all the medical treatment that I can or cant agree to, thats impossible surely!! I am all confussed :panic: :panic:

What do you all do?

[crazybones]

I dont think it would get that far because if it was a real emergency paramedics and doctors would just take over. The only problems would be with Jehova's witnesses. If a parent didnt consent to emergency treatment I would not be happy minding that child.

[ma7ie]

You can't give consent to any treatment that needs a signature. If the parents aren't contactable then the next people to be contacted would be the emergency contacts.

There are procedures in place at hospitals for such things and doctors wouldn't hold back on treating a child if it meant endangering their life but we are not responsible for giving any consent.

You would just explain that you are the child's childminder and let them take it from there.

[Pipsqueak]

You need permission to adminster first aid
You need to state that you will seek further medical assistance (doctor, hospital, medical center etc) should you deem it necessary and that the parents (or the emergency contacts ) will be contacted asap.


Medical staff will treat as they see fit (under their oath they will attempt to save life, make the patient comfortable etc) - regardless of permissions held.

[sarah707]

EYFS states -

Written parental permission must also be requested regarding the seeking of any necessary emergency medical advice or treatment in the future.

So we have to get it, whatever emergency services choose to do with it! :D

[buildingblocks]

I thought after reading other threads that as long as we had signed permission from parents we could authorise treatment but now looking at this I dont know. :panic:

The form is a permission to seek emergency help or something like that wording wise (sorry brain has gone dead and not functioning tonight). You cannot authorise treatment and at the end of the day as I understand it you wouldn't need to even if you could as the doctors will do anything necessary at the end of the day (am sure someone will put that in proper English unlike the rubbish I am spouting lol)

What you do need is if you have a child whose parent or religion does not allow the treatment (is it Jeovah's Witnesses where this might count) is some kind of permission slip to cover that I would htink