Background There are currently no minimum national standards for conducting sibling CP medicals and few published studies show little consensus amongst healthcare professionals and social services in conducting these medicals.

Aims Collation of sibling CP medical information from senior safeguarding clinicians in our region and examination of the child protection database of our NHS Trust with the aim of formulating a local sibling CP medical protocol.

Methods First survey: online Survey Monkey was sent out to 40 safeguarding doctors and nurses in our region from Dec 2013–Feb 2014.

Second survey: analysis of records of all CP referrals and medicals conducted in 2010 including handwritten CP medical proforma and final typed medical reports completed by Paediatricians in our NHS Trust.

Results 25% responded to our Survey Monkey. Majority of respondents said they conducted sibling CP medicals in their organisations. Most respondents (80%) had no protocol to guide their decisions and commented that medicals were normally done on an adhoc basis.

In the Trust survey, a total of 178 CP medicals were conducted in 2010. We identified 2 pathways of referrals. All siblings (100) of index cases referred as a family unit (37 families) had a CP medical (100%). 78 children were referred as individual index cases. 48/78 children referred by Social Services as individuals were identified to have siblings. 26/48 index cases who had siblings were identified as having CP concerns. 8/26 index cases were removed from their homes. There was no record (0%) of sibling medicals conducted in any of the 48 index cases with siblings including index cases with CP concerns.

Conclusion There is very little consensus on performing CP medicals on siblings of index cases in our region and local Trust. Siblings of index cases referred as individuals did not have a medical even when there were significant CP concerns. Following the 2 surveys, a CP sibling medical protocol to guide local Paediatrician’s decision regarding identifying/conducting medicals has been proposed.