Why does my baby have to be registered at the same GP as me?

[Sheila4327]

Hi,

Without going into detail I am registered with a GP from my mum's address as my mental health team are there and I don't want to change my mental health team (I have a large mental health history) I am living with the father in another area and registered the baby with a practice in that area. I got a text from my GP (my area) saying they have booked my child in for immunisations. I called them and explained my baby is registered at a different GP to me. They said they won't accept me if my child is at a different GP... I explained the baby's GP didn't have an issue with this. But they were adamant I have to register my baby at their one. It complicates things as then the health visitor changes to my old address (which I can still access as my mum lives there).

Why is this a thing? Why can't we be registered at different GPs?

Your records are linked, I don’t know how long for but I heard that gay dad who used a surrogate had issues related to this, there being no mum for the baby to be linked to

I have no idea but was very unimpressed by finding it was the case when I had my DD. I was with a surgery where we’d lived before who were happy for me to stay with them but they wouldn’t register my baby as they didn’t take new people who were out of area, and the one near us now wouldn’t register the baby without me switching even though DH, her father, was already there.

It caused a massive pain in the arse at the time. Sympathies.

Our surgery told us that they put families with the same GP in the surgery because it makes it easier to diagnose genetic and hereditary illnesses from family history

Isn't that plain sexism? My kids dad has a different gp surgery to us as he didn't want to change to mine. We all live together. Didn't conceive of there being an issue. They happily phone him about kids medical stuff he takes them to appointments. I wouldn't have considered it would be any different if they registered at his gp instead.

Also best practise for safeguarding reasons.

Safeguarding.

Absolutely safeguarding- I am a Practice Manager.

Silly question time (for which I apologise). But what if the mum had died during/soon after birth? The baby would be registered where? At the dads surgery? Grandparents surgery? Deceased mum surgery? I don’t see an argument for safeguarding if a relation (parent/grandparent) or guardian (foster/adoptive parent etc) is registered alongside the baby and has any relative paperwork to prove their connection at registration.

Can people elaborate on “safeguarding”?

What’s an example?

Mine were all automatically registered when they were born. Surely it makes sense that the baby has the continuity of being registered at the same GP that monitored their progress before they were born.

The mother who has given birth is the first person with parental responsibility for a child. If she gives the child up it is through the court system. It creates an unbroken paper trail system for babies and children to prevent child trafficking.

But mothers can walk out leaving a child with their father without requiring the court system to intervene?

Safeguarding (for baby and mother)

Maternal health - PND can have profound impact on baby.

Next of kin for babies is automatically their mother. .. many fathers don't have automatic parental responsibility and therefore can't consent to child's treatment.

Pregnancy and having a newborn is a known risk factor for being a victim of domestic violence.

If a mother breastfeeds her health is directly relevant to baby's nutrition - relevance for medication choices.

Linking domestic violence and child abuse

but doesn’t a father also have parental responsibility? And if on the birth certificate, then there is an official/legal paper trail?

I like your example of continuity of Drs care before and after being born - but house moves/never seeing the same practitioner - I’m guessing that in reality it doesn’t really happen much.

@lkkjhg ah thank you! Makes more sense if the reasoning behind the policy.

Safeguarding, u have mental health issues so they would need u and yr children to be at the same surgery.

The father may need to be named on the birth certificate with the mother, although that is automatic in marriage. The mother has the parental responsibility from birth.

Everybody has a mother, we all came out of one.

If a mother breastfeeds her health is directly relevant to baby's nutrition - relevance for medication choices.

Given the number of times I've been given medication I am unable to take due to breastfeeding, I don't think my surgery pays any attention to the fact I have a baby and may be breastfeeding her. And the fact that a woman has given birth would surely be on her own medical records anyway, regardless of whether the baby is registered there?

Fathers are not always biologically related to babies, even if their name is on the birth certificate

What happens if children live with their father most of the time and the mother lives in another town?

Sounds perfectly reasonable that mother and baby are registered at the same GP surgery, lots of early life stuff involves mother and baby. Once the child is older, if it's more convenient you should be able to change, but I really don't see why you would, if you are having to go to a particular practice why not take your child there?

Safeguarding cont.

Mother's gp is informed of baby's birth via discharge summary. Baby has NHS number and registered automatically triggering community midwife visits (post natal) and HV referrals.

This ensures that newborns receive appropriate care and should stop them being missed.

It doesn't rely on parents being organised. Far more people live in chaotic circumstances than most people are aware of.

@Melroses thank you! So what would happen if the mother had died at or shortly after the birth? Or had simply walked away as another poster suggested could happen (without a court process involved). Would registering with the fathers surgery be allowed - given the safeguarding reasons given by other pp?

not having been a parent, I just assumed that you would have to follow catchment areas for registering with a gp, not where the mother is registered.

It's a safeguarding issue. We don't register a baby without a parent being reg too. It can be the father that's reg though.