The State knows what's best for your children?

EarthRod

Wrong - never said that the 'state knows best for your child'.

I believe, when in comes to medical matters then the professional surgeons, doctors and nurses know best.

That's the third time I've said it, when is it going to sink in?

Cliff

Apologies. I wonder how it works in countries like the US where the doctors don't work for the state?

EarthRod

Don't they? They have to follow similar rules and regulations laid down by the government just like the medical staff in the UK. In fact, I think their regs are worse that ours!

pragmatic

Interesting, I think with the NHS they are one in the same.
I wonder if this would have happened if they went to say a nuffield hospital.

EarthRod

No. Professional surgeons, doctors and nurses can work for a private organisation or for the NHS. They are trained and fully qualified people whoever they work for.

The NHS is a very large organisation paid for by the government Treasury (via the tax payer) and run under government guidelines.

Totally different and not one and the same.

krish

No it doesn't, it's implying some have ideological points to make whilst others are pragmatic (ironically not the namesake member ) and don't see things in such narrow black and white parameters.

pragmatic

Sort of dodged the question though, would we expect child services, the police and Inter/Europol to get involved if the family had went to a private hospital instead of the NHS?

I would think not.

Cliff

What is the ideology which some refuse to agree with?
Why is not listening to different doctors and making a choice being pragmatic.

IronGiant

The police etc got involved because the child was not formally discharged from hospital so was officially missing.  When leaving hospital you need to be either:

a) discharged

or:

b) (self) discharged against medical advice.

Either way it is the hospital's legal responsibility to ensure you are signed out and have all the necessary medication/care/advice needed to take home.  I would guess (but don't know) that this would apply regardless of whether it was NHS or Private.

We know why the parents didn't do that, but the hospital couldn't just ignore it and pretend they had discharged the child.

Anyway, I'm done, I don't condone the way anyone involved acted.

krish

Yes that is pragmatic, but I've felt since the the thread started that you're trying to say state bad, parents good, when both can make mistakes, with the state generally being a force for good especially with 'bad' parents.