Childrens addresses changed at Doctors without kno

Here is something i have found rather frustrating today. If anyone has advice on the matter i would greatly appreciate any help.

My work allows me to be home a lot of the time and so before and after divorce i have been looking after the children during the daytimes.
School runs, nursery runs, doctors and dentists, ive dealt with it whilst my ex wife goes to work full time.

Ive just found out today that she has been to the doctors and changed their addresses to her address. I found this out when she gave me an apoiintment letter for one of the boys that was addressed to her. she asked me to deal with it as usual!

I was confused as to why it had gone to her so i phoned the doctors surgery.
The surgery told me that they cannot discuss anything regarding the boys to me due to data protection. WTF! i can take them to appointments with an illness, find out what is wrong, get a prescription but i cant be told which house my children are registered at.
They then phoned my house asking to speak with my ex. (clearly didnt update telephone number)
They will talk to her but not me. All because she has changed there addresses with the surgery.

Does this scream discrimination to anyone else and what can i do about it?
I want them registered with me as i do all the day to day care and take them to all appointments. i also claim child benefit for one of them.

please help:(

Do you have Parental Responsibility?

I assume you do, and if so then the surgery is in the wrong, they cannot refuse to speak to you about it.

Have a look at the Custody Minefield website, it''s very useful for things like this.

This type of thing is usually down to a lack of education within the doctors, have a look at the website and the template letters in the link below then re-educate them.

www.thecustodyminefield.com/templateletters.html

Pure ignorance from the receptionist I think here.

Of course you have the right to information about your child''s medical care as long as you have parental responsibility.

Best thing to do is obtain a copy of your kids'' birth certificates and book an appointment with the practice manager.

Explain that you have PR and that regardless of the kids'' address you have a right to the information. Explain that the receptionist has told you otherwise but that on taking legal advice you know this not to be true.

If they are still difficult the next step is to write to the Primary Care Trust, who have up to 40 days to respond so this isn''t a quick process. This is what I had to do because my ex lied about which surgery my son was registered at. After what felt like forever they made me drop in to their admin building with photo ID and proof of my name as it appears on my son''s birth certificate. They then told me where he was registered.

If the surgery are still difficult it''s time to get your complainin'' pen out. First step NHS complaints, second step member of parliament.

Hope that helps. In the majority of cases ignorant receptionists perpetuate this rubbish. One even told me that they would only deal with my ex because she had the kids ''the majority of the time this week''. Schools seem to have caught on that they are not allowed to take sides or withhold information at least.

By the way, as your children get older the NHS have to balance your right to information against your child''s right to confidentiality. You may find that older children must give consent for you to access information about them. This has nothing to do with your separation though!

Having PR means you are entitled to information about your child''s health, but doctors shouldn''t give out information about third parties. That means they won''t discuss anything relating to your wife including where she lives or when she is taking children to appointments with the doctor.

IF parents can''t agree where the children are to live or the children''s address isn''t disclosed it''s a family law matter rather than a medical issue.

When i called the surgery, i wasnt asking for any information. I just wanted to confirm my address and if it was still my address that they were registered with.
They wouldnt even tell me that. They just said that they would call me in the afternoon.
They went straight to my ex wife to discuss this because they felt that they could talk to her and not me. nice!

When i spoke to the surgery again this afternoon they still refused to tell me anything but also implied full knowledge of my child contact details disclosed by my wife. (who knows why, certainly none of their business)

Yes i do have PR and it has been myself who has taken both children to every dental and doctors visit since we broke up 3 years ago.

Im convinced my wife has changed the registered details due to a recent fued over child benefit money and who gets it. Seeing as we claimed for 1 child each but i still gave her the money i recieved, im pretty disgusted at her actions.

I am also shocked at the surgery and the way the staff dealt with the matter. I have not been treated as a parent.

If we have shared agreed custody of the children at a 50/50 split between homes then when it comes to schools, doctors and dentists, which address should they have the children registred at?

This affects the outcome of child benefit disputes and my ex has threatened me with trying to take them away from me and claim all the child benefit for herself. She has made this threat because as of september my youngest will be in school and she will no longer need me to look after him during the day so she can work. (used me for 3 years)

I believe this is why she has sneakily changed their address with the doctor...why else would she?

If your GP knows you, they will tell you how your child is. I always ask when i get repeat presecriptions. They tell me on the spot.