Medical personnel will collate all relevant medical information including imaging, e.g. x-ray, and provide written reports. Where medical advice is crucial to the conference deliberations, wherever possible the conference should be scheduled to ensure that the examining doctor(s) or community paediatrician can attend.
If, due to exceptional circumstances, the doctor cannot attend, he or she must submit a report and the Conference Chair should read the medical findings in full to the conference. Any further interpretation of the report should only be undertaken by a medical practitioner. If conference is not clear as to the contents or the interpretation of the report, arrangements should be made by the Conference Chair to seek clarification. Any delay should not prejudice the safety of the child.
In cases of conflicting medical opinion, the Conference Chair should request that the doctors involved review their findings jointly with the interests of the child in mind. If they are unable to establish common ground, they should be asked to explain their differences. Their views must be considered in the context of the other information available. If resolution is not possible, a further expert opinion should be commissioned to review the medical findings in order to offer a definitive opinion.
