# What happens re. GP and hospital records when child placed with you?



## silverbird2 (Jun 3, 2011)

Hi all.  I've tried Googling this but haven't come up with much.  Our Little Pink is actually already registered at the GP Surgery DH and I are registered with, as foster carers live near us.

When Little Pink (hopefully) moves in, can anybody advise what happens with regards to re-registering?  I'm worried birth parents may ring Surgery and/or hospital and the staff there could inadvertently give out our home address etc, as obviously birth parents will give out correct child's name and date of birth?  Another thing is if LO has an appointment and they call her name out ...  How will they prevent these types of things happening?  Do we re-register LO with our surname sort of 'unofficially' until the Adoption Order?  Or is there another secure method of ensuring records are locked?

I hope this makes sense and am curious as to how it works.  I know I can ask our SW, but have asked her lots of things lately!

(LO's birth parents live near to us but due to LO's age and low security risk of birth parents they are placing in same area)


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## ritzi (Feb 18, 2006)

Mistakes can and do happen. 
Where we live a hospital gave info to a BP by mistake and after this the way things were dealt with were tightened. 


Basically there is no unofficial name..you have to give the legal name. But our hospital has it flagged on the front screen that X is looked after child - you may only speak with adoptive mum Y - and no info to be given to anyone else. 
For hospital appointments I give the name at the desk - remind that person that X is a LAC and ask that Mrs Y (me) be called. If a mistake happens and X is called I just ignore it, just sit there for a few minutes, then go to the desk and say she's been called but we could not respond. Could the Dr please call Mrs Y as instructed. 


With GP I phone and book the appointment - the front screen has her legal name, and reminds them she is looked after - and also that we call her Y. When we arrive I tell the receptionist her legal name, and ask her to remind the dr to call Mrs Y or the name we call her. 


So far its all been fine   


some areas/GP will allow you to use a 'known as' name, but its not officially allowed. Ask at the GP reception next time you are there.


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## bulmer (Sep 5, 2010)

Our gp was great from the outset and only called LO by first name even though we were an out of county adoption so no risk around name.  The first time I made an appointment I asked which name and they said to book appointments under our surname as they had set up the computer to link the two names.  They couldn't have been more helpful.  The only person who got it wrong was the midwife on one of her only two visits in three years and she called me by LO birth surname !!!


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## Blueestone (Feb 28, 2015)

Hi

When the adoption is final take the certificate to the gp and they request a new Nhs number and all old records are archived - ask Hv for new red book and for them to start new records too...


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## Tictoc (Aug 20, 2015)

You need to make sure your social worker and la medical advisor put a flag on her medical records to ensure they don't contact birth family by mistake. This flag was apparently left off when our youngest came to us and the health visitor called birth mother instead of me - we're still not sure how much information she let slip as she hasn't exactly been forthcoming in tell us the whole story.


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## liveinhope (Jan 8, 2008)

I would speak in person to the practice manager so you are all clear whats being put in place


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## silverbird2 (Jun 3, 2011)

You guys are all fantastic - thank you so much!  Very worrying about the 'slips' though.  Scary stuff.

We're able to change her first name once she's with us due to locality of birth parents, but obviously this isn't legal until the Adoption Order etc.

I think having a meeting with the Practice Manager is a great idea and one I shall look into.  She's not had any medical issues as yet, so I'm hoping there will be no need to visit either the GP or hospital prior to the Adoption Order, but I like to be prepared.

Many thanks indeed, ladies.


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