dwa bitten

[CKS]

Originally Posted by SiUK

they have only just changed the laws on stabbings though havnt they?

Policy on stabbings is irrelevant ... dangerous wild animals falls under a different act altogether ... see my other post

[Al Hyde]

Originally Posted by CKS

Sorry to contradict you (so late after the thread started too) but your wrong. This is my area of work and although your correct to state hospitals are bound by confidentiality, they are also obliged to inform the police of anything that poses a public risk. A venomous snake bite would pose a serious enough risk for them to breach confidentiallity in the interest of public safety. If they neglected to tell the police they could be held liable for endangering public safety....

Hi ,
I can understand that if the snake was still free in the public domain . However, in 99.9% of cases the keeper will place the animal back within it's secure licensed enclosure first as a priority while asking a friend or family member to contact the hospital.
Once this is done the animal poses absolutely no risk to the public or any family member .
The bite is then nothing different from any other medical emergency with only the patients well being at risk.
My priority would alway be to contain the snake first and foremost. If I then arrive at the hospital for treatment and the police or press were notified it would be the hospital breaking the law , As a licensed keeper I would've commited no crime whatsoever

Cheers,
Al

[CKS]

Originally Posted by Al Hyde

Hi ,
I can understand that if the snake was still free in the public domain . However, in 99.9% of cases the keeper will place the animal back within it's secure licensed enclosure first as a priority while asking a friend or family member to contact the hospital.
Once this is done the animal poses absolutely no risk to the public or any family member .
The bite is then nothing different from any other medical emergency with only the patients well being at risk.
My priority would alway be to contain the snake first and foremost. If I then arrive at the hospital for treatment and the police or press were notified it would be the hospital breaking the law , As a licensed keeper I would've commited no crime whatsoever

Cheers,
Al

Your absolutely right in what you say but all that needs to be found out. Patients (especially those committing a criminal offence) have a tendancy to lie if they think their in trouble. If a patient with a snake bite comes in the doctor can't take the word of the patient that he is DWA licensed, that the snake is secured, and that their aren't more unlicensed snakes roaming around. For that to be verified they need to inform the police

[Al Hyde]

Hi CKS

This just isn't true.

If a keeper is licensed and has followed all protocals there is absolutely no reason to suspect a crime has been commited. If the staff are in doubt they only need ask the the paramedics that brought the patient or family member that drove them to hospital.

There is absolutely no need to contact the police when a license can be verified via family member or a phone call to the local council.
I repeat, a venomous snake bite to a licensed keeper is not a crime and documents can easily be produced without notifying police or press.

If what you say were true the amount of times hospital staff had to contact police would be ridiculous. "Hey, there's a 70 year old woman in there with a nasty slice to her hand, say's she did it on a bread knife while washing up. Think we'd better contact the police as she may have had a scuffle with her husband while trying to stab him."

By the way, I also worked in the NHS through the 80's, my mother worked in the NHS up until her retirement a few years back,and many of our friends work within the NHS , Private health and mental health.

Cheers,
Al

[WW**]

Al,

The original question referred to unlicensed keepers.

In other words, if someone gets bitten by a venomous snake he owns without a licence, rocks up at the hospital and says "I have been bitten by venomous snake species X", and refuses to give further details, would the hospital be obliged or allowed to contact the police or other authorities to follow it up?

If they are obliged to, then logically they would have to follow it up with licenced keepers as well, if only to check whether they have a licence.

I don't know the answers to any of these Qs myself.

Cheers,

WW

[Al Hyde]

Hi Wolfgang! :¬)

Ah, thanks for that, it'll teach me to read the entire thread in future (Something that's often very hard to do in this section of the forum )

Sorry CKS
The main point I am trying to put across is, it is very simple to confirm whether the patient is legal or not, and it need never reach the press if all is above board.
In the case of a legal genuine keeper all this should be covered if he or she is sensible and responsible.
If I was bitten and taken to hospital and the story came out in the press i'd be peed off big time

Cheers,
Al

[CKS]

Originally Posted by Al Hyde

Hi Wolfgang! :¬)

Ah, thanks for that, it'll teach me to read the entire thread in future (Something that's often very hard to do in this section of the forum )

Sorry CKS
The main point I am trying to put across is, it is very simple to confirm whether the patient is legal or not, and it need never reach the press if all is above board.
In the case of a legal genuine keeper all this should be covered if he or she is sensible and responsible.
If I was bitten and taken to hospital and the story came out in the press i'd be peed off big time

Cheers,
Al

No probs ... as stated my previous comments refers to unlicensed keepers. Your right that a phone call to the council should suffice where a licensed keeper has been bitten, But it's not the hospitals job to invetigate the matter so you may find even in licensed circumstances the hospital notify police just to be safe. The very least that would have to happen is that the council should pay a visit to ensure the terms of the licence are being met ... even though there is no crime there is a duty to protect the public and that job falls down to the police (or in these circumstances the council should do). That means patient confidentiality can be compromised

[ViperLover]

Originally Posted by smart1

id like to no if your silly enuff to keep dwa reps without a licence ,and are unlucky enuff to get tagged then get taken to hosptial. Would you be getting in trouble with the law if they find out you have no licence? if you come out alive that is .....

Thats all fair play....But you are digging you're own grave if you are keeping a certain animal, without a lisence. Because without a lisence, nobody knows you've got it. And the local hospital may not stock the serum required.....So if you get tagged....Then you only have yourself to blame.

[ViperLover]

Originally Posted by WW**

Al,

The original question referred to unlicensed keepers.

In other words, if someone gets bitten by a venomous snake he owns without a licence, rocks up at the hospital and says "I have been bitten by venomous snake species X", and refuses to give further details, would the hospital be obliged or allowed to contact the police or other authorities to follow it up?

If they are obliged to, then logically they would have to follow it up with licenced keepers as well, if only to check whether they have a licence.

I don't know the answers to any of these Qs myself.

Cheers,

WW

Is this Wokfgang Wuster? If so....Hello

[Azemiops]

Originally Posted by ViperLover

Thats all fair play....But you are digging you're own grave if you are keeping a certain animal, without a lisence. Because without a lisence, nobody knows you've got it. And the local hospital may not stock the serum required.....So if you get tagged....Then you only have yourself to blame.

James,

Bare in mind local hospitals DO NOT stock anti-venom. The UK stock for 'public use' with the NHS is held at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, or Guys Hospital in London.