§ Dr. Roger Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, in view of the recommendations in the publication of "Care and Control" that child abuse could be lowered substantially by greater family practitioner awareness and involvement, if he will act on a national scale on these recommendations.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergThe research report, of which 'Care and Control' is a summary, is being studied by the Department. Its recommendations are mainly concerned with the child care legislation, but the report also refers to problems which sometimes occur in involving general practitioners in child abuse cases. It is clearly important that they should be involved with these cases. The Department's guidance circulars on the co-ordination of services in child abuse cases have been sent to family practitioner committees and the Department has stressed it is desirable Area Review Committees on child abuse should include a general practitioner. We have also taken steps to encourage the attendance of GPs on multi-professional training courses.