Taking someone elses child to the doctor

[twentytimes]

DSD has a doctors appointment on friday but it doesnt look like her dad is going to be able to take the time of work so was going to reschedule it.

Does anyone know if I could take her?

We're not married if that makes a difference.

I don’t think they will ask or check. I’ve never been asked my relationship to my child. My mother in law has taken my child too.
Do you get on with the child’s mum? If things are okay I would myself or get DH to send a quick text saying “xxx is a bit under the weather with x. Twenty times is going to pop her to the GP, will let you know what they say”

My MiL tried to take my dd to the gp. They wouldn't see her until they'd got permission from me (email or phone call).

DS2 has had to go to a GP appointment with his stepmother. It was fine and they prescribed what he needed no problem.

But when she took him to minor injuries with a broken toe, they made her call me and give verbal consent, so he could be looked at while they waited for me to arrive. They said they needed me or his father there if at all humanly possible.

So I don't know! Technically and legally, parental responsibility is needed for consent to medical treatment. But do doctors actually refuse to treat children if no one is legally responsible/in loco parentis? I can't see that happening either.

I took my friends son to A&E as I was going anyway. They were fine.

I took a friend's son to a consultant's appointment (his mum also had a consultant's appointment at the same time but in a different hospital, and both were urgent). The consultant didn't mind at all.

We send DC for vaccinations with the childminder. I rang the surgery and they said that they were there to treat the DC and no permissions were needed. Not sure if that’s just our surgery though (and I had made the appointments).