Medical Professionals, main contact person in joint custody arrangement

[Sisyphus]

In a Joint Custody and Guardianship with equal access scenario, what is the protocol for medical professionals with regards to a main contact person for appointments and information? Should both parents be contacted by medical professionals or does one parent become the main contact?

Also, the computer data systems of hospitals and schools only allow for one address and phone number to be entered and so do not account for joint parenting scenarios. Can anything be done about this?

[Mess]

Well, can anything be done, you can complain to hospital administration and to the Ontario Ombudsman.

With schools, there needs to be a designated primary residence so they can determine the neighbourhood and which school to place the child in. Apart from that, I have never had an issue, we have no problem getting 2 report cards, 2 copies of all other school correspondence, we are both on the email list. The school secretary knows which day to call which parent if our child is ill and we have never had a problem.

Medical professionals should call both parents if it is a reminder for booking a checkup. All information should be made available to either parent. Even if you are still married you don't ordinarily get copies of medical records unless you are taking them to a specialist. If the parents are capable of joint custody, they should be capable of organizing an alternating schedule of taking the child to the doctor or dentist.