Childminders seeking medical assistance

[Rob1n]

Ok, just filling in CM registration form - for what reason might I not want the CM to seek emergency medical assistance and treatment or what conditions might I want?

Have been thinking about it but only keep coming up with the worst case type scenarios e.g. Emergency doc says "we'll have to amputate" CM says "Ok". I know, this is ridiculous, so please come and give me some rational ideas!

PS I am not religious, which were the only other reasons I could think of.

Does it not mean what conditions will you allow the CM to treat herself without calling an ambulance, for example?

Eg. nosebleeds, grazes...that sort of thing?

It's generally only parents and legal guardians that have the authority to give permission for medical treatment, although in a worst-case senario doctors can take whatever action they think is necessary to save someone's life without having to get something signed beforehand. So having parents sign that they give the childminder permission to seek medical treatment shows that you have authorised this in advance, and allows for things like refusal of blood transfusions or other religious/medical issues to be sorted out before they become an issue sat in the A&E waiting room.

I may be confused then

Mine says about emergency treatment and I was told it was so the CM can simply say to the hospital - you have permission to treat the child - not for specific treatments. Does that make sense?

You give the CM permission to seek emergency assistance ie call ambulance, take to A&E, Dr's but the CM cannot give the Dr's etc permission to do anything. It just means they are in the right place for the parent to then authorise any necessary treatment. Also the Dr's can take certain decisions without permission if the situation is life threatening. Thats what we were advised on our 1st Aid course anyway

Its just evidence that the parent is aware that the childminder will seek emergency care if they feel its appropriate. Most parents would not object to their childminder seeking emergency help, even if it later turns out to be unnecessary, as they would understand we want to err on the side of caution. Some parents might disagree with a childminders decision to seek emergency care particularly if they hold strong views about blood transfusions or other medical procedures. Even though the childminder would not have been able to authorise any such treatment, the parent might perceive the childminder who contacted the emergency services to be responsible for anything undertaken that does not comply with their own beliefs, any medical error or even a death or disability that might result from the emergency.