Procedure in hospitals.

[Silverbirch511]

In the UK, to my knowledge, there is no hospital with guidelines to differentiate between abuse and medical problems.
The Department of Health requested guidelines in Nov 2005 - http://www.nice.org.uk/page.aspx?o=291970

Doctors don't have to diagnose anything and can decide for themselves when medical investigations have gone far enough, (sometimes not very far at all) and then report an opinion of abuse when there is no medical explanation for the symptoms.(one wonders if there will be an end to the use of the word idiopathic with the advent of Fabricated or Induced Illness Guidelines) http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=idiopathic

The initial role for the Paediatrician is to find out whether a child’s illness and individual symptoms and
signs have an unequivocal explanation as a natural illness. If this is not clear the possibility of fabrication
or illness induction and the effect of this on the child has to be considered as part of the range of
possibilities. Psychiatrists and psychologists may be needed to look at the effects on the child, and
establish whether there are underlying disorders in the carer. Police must investigate a possible crime.
Social workers make an assessment of our concerns about the child’s welfare or the risk of harm and
provide support to parents during the assessment.

http://www.rcpch.ac.uk/publications/recent_publications/fii.pdf

This opinion of abuse is used freely as the doctors say it takes all agencies (police,social services,schools,health visitors,GPs,other medical practitioners) to decide if there was abuse - The social services however, even in the absence of other problems, are given guidelines that can NEVER ignore the opinion of the doctor.

A lose, lose situation for anyone accused by medics.

How does this differ from the US?

[Dazeemay]

The initial role for the Paediatrician is to find out whether a child’s illness and individual symptoms and
signs have an unequivocal explanation as a natural illness.

Our granddaughter was and still is a victim of them because her illness is not natural. Anything they cannot diagnose then a parent or parents are suspect. They would never admit they don't know the cause.

This opinion of abuse is used freely as the doctors say it takes all agencies (police,social services,schools,health visitors,GPs,other medical practitioners) to decide if there was abuse - The social services however, even in the absence of other problems, are given guidelines that can NEVER ignore the opinion of the doctor.

I call this "The Ultimate Parent Trap" in all of our countries. It is not surprising that your country, as well as other countries, is the same as ours in most respects when it comes to Social Services after all we are the instigators for most everything a foul in other countries.

A lose, lose situation for anyone accused by medics.

How does this differ from the US?

Police are only involved sometimes. Doc's here call social services first and then it runs the gambit of schools, etc.

[Silverbirch511]

Police are only involved sometimes. Doc's here call social services first and then it runs the gambit of schools, etc.

Same, police are called at any point that there is thought to be a crime commited vs the child.

Thanks very much for the answer Dazeemay.