Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Mental health

Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you have medical concerns, please seek medical attention.

Flip

Original poster

Can the NHS tell our DC's school about DH being bipolar? Urgent

11 replies

nomadwantshome · 14/08/2013 18:52

DH had an appt with mental health team today (new area) they told him that they would have to tell our dcs school about his bipolar. I nearly hit the roof when I heard. Can they do this?

Dh has been diagnosed 12 years plus. Not had a major episode in that time due to being on lithium long term. He has never been violent or any of that - I can only assume mental health team think our kids are at risk which is absolutely rubbish. Apparently now with the nhs under the cosh they have to do this now. To be perfectly honest, I don't want anyone knowing because we've had a lot of discrimination over the years. Maybe the teachers are professionals but they won't be experts on bipolar and what that entails. I want to stop them, in the short term at least, telling the school and find out what our rights are.

OP posts:

CaptainSweatPants · 14/08/2013 18:54

I've never heard of that

HoopHopes · 14/08/2013 18:56

I have no idea sorry. Can understand your reticence. Can you ask to talk to the mental health team yourself and ask what policy and legislation they are using and ask for a copy if it? And ask their reason why they are informing school. Do you have a social worker, are your dc classed as children in need or at risk by social care. If not then I cannot see why they would do this.

mignonette · 14/08/2013 19:01

Ask for the relevant legislative information. It has to be on a Need To Know basis and the onus is upon them to demonstrate that. They may try to cite the SafeGuarding of Children Act but again, the onus is on them to demonstrate clear risk.

You have the right to expect confidentiality and you must put your objections into writing. Can you contact your local MH advocacy services?

Unless your DH has a forensic Mental health history I would be very surprised to hear that this had been done.

nothernexposure · 14/08/2013 22:27

It's in our trust child safe guarding policy that we have to inform the school nurse that the parent is under MH services. As i understand it the nurse covers several schools and is also bound by confidentiality. If the school have concerns about a child's welfare the school nurse is the 'link person' who can help put the jigsaw together. I can see how stressful it is for you worrying about this and i wonder if this is what the team meant? Is it worth checking?

TheWookiesWife · 14/08/2013 22:34

This happened to a friend of mine - his GP stepped in and said that he would make the call if necessary - the mental health team passed it to the GP and the GP said he never had any intention of calling as he didn't see it was in the child's interest ! As far as I know this was all above board - so discuss with your DH's GP to get it rectified ! Good luck with it all !

worley · 14/08/2013 22:37

Can I ask a quick question.. Ex do is bipolar and on lithium.. As far as I know the school don't know.. He doesn't have PR but does collect from school twice a week.. Should they have been told?

Original poster

nomadwantshome · 15/08/2013 18:10

Thanks for all your replies. Dh phoned and spoke to the woman he had the appt with. She was very dismissive and asked if it could wait as she was going on holiday. He said no and asked for an assurance that she wasn't going to inform the school. She said that she wouldn't. Dh is going to follow it up with a letter.
He thinks that she was very officious and was form filling and he kind of got the impression she was taking advantage of his confused state. Fgs she's supposed to be a support service surely? Any way he's going to drop out of their service and self manage his illness - not much different to all the years he's been diagnosed! In answer to a post - he has no convictions, never been sectioned, no history of violence nothing. Grr it makes me mad. Every time we've stuck our head above the parapet we've been wrong footed. Stigma? Really -yes even with mh services it would seem

OP posts:

Original poster

nomadwantshome · 15/08/2013 18:13

Answer to northern - I can see the logic in the school nurse being informed. This I wouldn't mind so much

OP posts:

LEMisdisappointed · 15/08/2013 18:19

That is outrageous - and i cannot believe for one second that the school would be informed if someone is under the MH team. Safegaurding? Fuck off!! I am really upset by this actually, I suffer from anxiety and depression and am "under" the MH team, does this mean that this information has been passed on to my DD's school despite it not affecting my parenting in any way whatsoever???

Am going to ring my doctor first thing in the morning, i want answers.

There is no logic whatsoever in school nurse being involved, if a school is worried about a child then i should imagine it goes through certain channels and the GP would be able to make a judgement.

Original poster

nomadwantshome · 15/08/2013 18:41

Sorry Lem that you're so upset. I am too! I'm worried now that they'll think our insistence that this is not disclosed is 'suspicious'! I've just made the mistake of reading the thread about fear of your kids being taken in to care.

OP posts:

SirBoobAlot · 15/08/2013 20:10

I don't know... But I was warned by a member of playschool staff that higher powers (I don;t know how it works, sorry) can't ask for diagnosis, but can ask for a list of medications, and plan to start doing so soon around here. Which scared the crap out of me.

Hope you can get this straightened out soon.

Flip