The Family Health Maze

A parents’ guide to health services in England and Wales

This 32-page booklet, published by the National Family and Parenting Institute, will help anyone involved in caring for a child who has discovered that it is not always easy to find their way around the health service. It has been designed to help parents, and it sets out to answer such worrying questions as:

• How can I sign up with a GP?

• What will happen if my child gets ill on a school trip?

• Can I see my child’s medical records?

• Can my cohabiting partner give consent for medical treatment?

• Can a child see their own medical record?

• Do children have mental health problems?

and many more of the frequently asked questions which concern any carer.

The Family Health Maze highlights the different rights and responsibilities carried by parents, and the health services in regard to children’s health, and there are links to further resources, such as websites and useful phone numbers for specialist organisations. The booklet is subdivided under several useful headings, such as The Law, Children and Health, Parents’ First Port of Call, In Hospital, and Looking for Alternatives. This is a valuable booklet for all parents to have on their shelves, but I would have been happier if there had been a specific section for ‘Special Needs’ because I know this is an area where parents struggle to find the best early help for their children.

The Family Health Maze is available by telephoning 09069 592 692. Calls cost 75 pence per minute from a UK land line phone, and calls should last a maximum of 2 minutes. Costs from mobile phones and some non-BT networks may be higher. The booklet can also be downloaded free of charge from their website www.nfpi.org.

The National Family & Parenting Institute  

Review published 19 June 2003 © Jill Curtis 2003