It’s not enough to train GPs in child protection. What happens next?

It’s not enough to train GPs in child protection. What happens next? Doctors are getting better at spotting the signs of neglect or abuse. But with children’s services devastated by cuts, referrals do not always lead to action

Following a colleague’s retirement I have now become the safeguarding lead for children at my GP practice. This means that I review cases, update our practice policies on safeguarding children and act as a liaison between staff, families, school nurses, paediatricians and social services. Like many other GPs, I come across cases of emotional or physical neglect through poverty, or parents having mental health or substance abuse problems.

Sometimes it is the police, A&E or health visitors who alert me to concerns they have about a child’s welfare. But worryingly, for every child on the child protection register there are another eight who are not known to agencies, according to the NSPCC. And this can only get worse as cuts to local authority children’s services continue.

The reality is that the child protection system is simply unable to keep up with demand Continue reading... The Guardian