The implementation of a new parallel child health record.
After a decade of research, the parent-held Personal Child Health Record was introduced in some parts of the United Kingdom in 1991, coinciding with the enforcement of the Children Act 1989. It was designed as the main record of a child's health and development, to be used until adulthood and to be held by parents. Several Health Care Trusts have since discovered a need to maintain parallel records in the best interests of children. Barnet introduced the 'Joint Professional Record' in 1995 for selected children, such as children on the Child Protection Register. The Joint Professional Record (JPR) is a single, clinic-held, parallel record for multidisciplinary use. We undertook a programme of audit and staff seminars to develop and evaluate use of the JPR. We discuss, below, the impact of this record on professional working relationships and consider the implications of its use as a confidential record and within our policy of working in partnership with parents. In our experience, the JPR has proved a useful adjunct to clinical supervision in the arena of Child Protection and is appropriately used for children in need of protection and those with 'special needs'.
Children's Services, Barnet Healthcare NHS Trust, Colindale Hospital, London, UK.
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Knowles
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Blackburn
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Zahir
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Russell
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Carrier
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Nevrkla
D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D002651:Child Advocacy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D002669:Child Welfare; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D008485:Medical Audit; D008499:Medical Records / Q000592:standards*; D010348:Patient Care Team; D012042:Registries; D006113:United Kingdom