To be worried about these notes on DS's Medical notes

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During my pregnancy, I moved house and, despite me updating the midwifes and registering with a new GP, three appointment letters for scans got sent to my old address. My "failiure to attend" those three times triggered a whole load of intervention including an investigation by social services, which was thankfully concluded very quickly. The social worker found that the mix up had been the fault of the NHS and has no further concerns about me. She also Encouraged me to make a complaint to the NHS and promised to write to all agencies and ask them to remove any notes on my file about not engaging with services.
The issue is refusing to go away however as today at my 6 week check up the GP asked me why I missed appointments.I explained the situation and said that I was disappointed that the information was still on file. The GP told me she couldn't remove the note but could add something amending it. When she showed me what she had added it said: "patient is extremely distressed by involvement of social services"
So now my records not only say I don't engage but also that social services were involved and that I am distressed about it. If I read those notes I would assume "extremely distressed" was a euphamism for shouty and irrational.
Am I being unreasonable to be concerned about this? I feel like I have been stereotyped as a bad parent already and I'm worried this will be held against me in future, for example if DS ever needs treatment for an injury or something.

yes very :) thank you

"I feel there's more back story you're not telling."

This is exactly why i'm concerned about the mention on my sons file. People are going to make that assumption aren't they?^

Case proven! You are right to make further checks/complaints and chase this up OP. Good luck

I think it is crap this can't just be removed from your record, I have similar concerns about very old mental health problems on mine.

Nope, sorry, still not getting it.

Having read through the thread, it appears that if during the course of ante natal check ups that there may be a problem with the foetus and the m2b takes no action, then SS can become involved .?

This is the slippery slope. Do SS become involved if m2b smokes cigarettes in the face of advice to the contrary and scan based evidence that a baby is small? I bet they don't.

There's more to this than meets the eye.

Rainbow -it's half to protect OP. There should be a record of their incompetence. If for example it happened again and she wished to complain there would be no evidence. However what is very important is that the information is very clear and accurate.

It should make clear that OP did NOT fail to attend appts. She was therefore incorrectly referred to a social worker and the stigma was both upsetting and unfair for her. It should be very clear that an error was made and by whom. I would hope that OP is given access to whatever record is then stored. I'd strongly recommend getting an advocate like PALS so that you are not persuaded to accept something you are not content with

Very old records cease to matter tbh Rainbow and speaking as someone who has seen a lot of records (and have quite a few of my own!!) it is only on-going and current records that are kept 'alive'. There are policies regarding record retention. I think it's 7 yrs and if the issue is in the past i.e. not on-going they will be removed from your current notes. (I am ready to be corrected by someone who actually knows what they are talking about :))

Taken from the patient.co.uk site regarding recognition of child abuse:

Persistent failure to attend important child health programmes or follow-up appointments

Sorry you've been through this OP, how is your son now?

I called one morning to rearrange a routine appointment with the midwife (one of the ones where they check your BP and send you packing). I had my appointment, a whole seven days later, I was quizzed as to why I 'failed to attend' (even though I had called ahead). The midwife explained that missed/cancelled visits were monitored so needed to document a reason. I fully believe a referral was made to Social Services for the reason the OP detailed above, and three missed scans.

Toothbrush- but wasn't a child's appointment she didn't attend.It was her own .

Why do SS get involved if someone misses an ante-natal appointment

Many on here know my job role and in the OP's defence if the safeguarding in a LA is what it should be then this will flag up.

This came into the fore front after the body of Fred West's pregnant daughter was found, questions were asked if pregnant women should be monitored for appointments and checks that a birth has happened and mum and baby are well.

This was decidedon that it should, to protect pregnant women and many need this protection.

There were other cases of women being killed in different circumstances during pregnancy, but not detected until long after.

Women can be very vulnerable during pregnancy for a varity of reasons and the threat usually comes from their own family, or partners family.

OP, you need to contact the complaints manager at your SW department, via telephone at first. You will get an answer within 28 days outlining what is happening, then take it from there.

I always recommend MP's, the LA take notice of them.

It was her own appt but concerns an unborn child. Unborn children have their own register for child protection.

We have a policy for missed ante natal appts. It's because for some women it can be an indicator of 'issues' relating to future child abuse.

It's not a policy which would pick up women who actively choose to decline ANC - that's a different issue and often those women are very well informed and motivated (whatever you think of their choice). Nor is it designed to pick up women who miss one appt accidentally. 3 recuurent missed appts in a pregnancy where there are health concerns IS a trigger.

In this case the investigation was informal and uncovered the facts (errors) and OP was 'cleared'.

As she is correctly pointing out ...... some people will jump to conclusions. I'm only posting because a) I know this policy of referral following missed appts (in a pattern) exists and b) I feel damn sorry for the OP facing that assumption

Regarding everyone's feelings about the level of supervision and registers etc. I share your sense of WTF! BUT it is to protect the Victoria Climbies of this world, not to smack hands of ordinary mums.

Are you sure SS DID ask for those missing appointments to be taken off? Do you have a letter from them confirming that?

Just to add that now SW cannot just remove data, it has to happen via legal/management.

If i make a mistake on notes, i cannot change them, i have to add an amendment.

This protects the service user.

OP, a professional wouldn't not interpret distressed as 'shouty' ect.

YANBU, I would be angry too.

I hope your baby is coming along nicely after a scary start in life.

The average gestation period for safeguarding the unborn to click in is 20 weeks +, however it can be sooner.

As I understood it mothers (in the UK) have no legal responsibility towards their unborn children.They can drink themselves silly jump on their belly decline medical intervention to save the life of the foetus.
Therefore social services are, in my opinion, overstepping the mark and attempting to unilaterally impose a responsibility which does not in law exist.

ok catwoo. Whatever.

I'm confused. Antenatal treatment isn't compulsory is it?

Antenatal treatment isn't compulsory is it

That is a grey area as it depends on what the anti-natal treatment is and why it is being refused, that is what SS find out.

It protects women who may be depressed or have MH problems, as well as other situations.

If a woman refuses tests that would determine whether her baby was still alive, for example, then carrying that child could put her life at risk, then the MH process may be needed, until an investigation is done then no-one knows.

As I understood it mothers (in the UK) have no legal responsibility towards their unborn children

They don't, as such, but the LA does, after a certain point in pregnancy.

There are laws around who oversees/attends a birth etc.

There have been to many cases in the past, where mums have hidden their own still born babies, out of shock and not sought help.

Can someone clarify? Ante natal care isn't compulsory is it? Non attendance with no other red flags wouldn't trigger social service involvement?

Catwoo If you really feel that chid protection measures are illegal check out some of these links - they provide references for the legislation/research etc on which the policies are based. I'm offering this up not intending to be confrontational but as information

Scotland

Sussex policy

South west

another

Just a few examples. I'm sitting here recognising the threat that child protection measures present to many people (judgement about lifestyle/smoking drinking/drugs and other) but at the same time conscious that a responsibility to child protection does exist and should exist. Are we just saying chuck babies out into the big wide world ? Death and abuse of children inflicted by a parent is common. Child protection cannot exist without policies/triggers and guidance. It's a blunt tool usually, but attempts to take away from personal opinion/judgement and bias and base the 'triggers' etc on reasearch

seeker - if you said upfront to the midwife that you didn't wish any further tests - no blood tests/scans etc that would be a choice you made. I don't personally think it would be considered a red flag

Most mums consciously rejecting ante natal care are informed motivated and making a choice. They will also often discuss that decision with a midwife. IME the vast majority accept some care but make it clear what they don't want - they also are flexible, so if the situation changes they listen to advice and make a further choice based on new info.

There is a big difference between that and mums who are at risk and possibly hiding from the services because they have something to hide. Evasive as opposed to open rejection of the service?

I told my GP that I was rejecting ante natal care ... (I didn't actually carry it through) but I know he didn't place me on the unborn baby register.

Well i'm seeing lots of guidance and protocol, but no legislation saying a mother can be neglectful of an unborn child.

Antenatal treatment isn't compulsory but not accessing it will usually result in a social services referral. Mainly in cases where the woman seems to have gone AWOL. If a woman presents to a midwife and then tells the midwife they don't wish to access any further care then that's perhaps slightly less likely to result in a referral.

Any late booker (after 20weeks) is an automatic social services referral, even in cases where the woman states she didn't know she was pregnant! They investigate and in 99% of cases will not need to do anything. But it is a red flag that that person may down the line neglect a child, etc.

When dd was a baby me and dh went on a tour of Europe for a few weeks. He was unemployed, I was on mat leave so we packed the car and went. Came home to umpteen letters and messages from HV who when I rang her said she was very close to ringing SS as was becoming concerned aout our wherabouts!

You can always chat to your MP about it