Child abuse alerts to go on database

Child abuse alerts are to be placed on a national health database, so that doctors will know if there are past concerns about a family.

The little-known Medical Warning System, run by the Ministry of Health, has been traditionally used by doctors to check for patients' allergies to drugs. But as part of an upgrade, doctors and officials plan to add notes about any record of child abuse.

Starship hospital paediatrician Dr Patrick Kelly said a working group was still discussing the criteria to be used. He believed the minimum threshhold would have to be a notification (a complaint about abuse or neglect) to Child Youth and Family.

Dr Kelly said the information would help doctors because many families moved around the country and there was no simple way to check for a history of abuse.

It could be especially important if, unknown to health authorities or social workers, the child was back in the care of the abusing parent.

Human rights lawyer Tim McBride said there should be public debate about the plan, which raised important privacy issues.

On the one hand it was important to protect children from abuse, but many parents would be concerned to think that information about them was being used in this way.

"At what stage does something qualify as child abuse? Does it remain there forever or is it time-limited? You can see the effect it will have on some parents in terms of their willingness to seek medical attention."

Deputy Director-General for Information Alan Hesketh said the ministry was working with the Paediatric Society to ensure that children with documented child protection concerns could be identified on the database.