GMC issues child protection guidance for doctors

The General Medical Council (GMC) has issued guidance to all doctors in the UK to help them protect children from abuse or neglect.

The guidance, Protecting children and young people: the responsibilities of all doctors, is aimed at supporting doctors who have to deal with complex child protection issues. The guidance has been developed following concerns that fear of complaints from parents was deterring some doctors from raising child protection concerns.

The guidance clarifies the responsibilities of doctors in child protection and signposts further support. The guidance states that:

• If doctors are treating an adult patient, they must consider whether the patient poses a risk to children or young people. Doctors must be able to identify risk factors in their environment that might raise concerns about abuse or neglect.
• Doctors should get support if they have concerns that a child or young person may be at risk of abuse or neglect. Every Trust has a named or designated professional or lead clinician (Scotland) and all doctors should know who they can turn to if they need advice.
• In sharing concerns about possible abuse or neglect, doctors must remember that they work within a wider team of professionals, all of whom have a responsibility to keep children safe from abuse.

(Source: http://www.gmc-uk.org/news/13578.asp)

The guidance document also advises on information sharing, partnership working, consent for child protection examinations and acting as a witness in court.

Niall Dickson, Chief Executive of the GMC, said:

Child protection is a complex and emotionally challenging area of practice for any professional, and doctors in particular can find themselves having to make difficult and delicate judgements in a charged atmosphere. The decisions made or not made as a result can have far reaching consequences.

We are clear though that doctors must raise their concerns if they believe a child or young person may be at risk of abuse or neglect - and this applies whether or not the child is their patient. They also need to know who to contact for advice if they do have any concerns.

We very much hope doctors will find this guidance useful, not least in making clear what is expected from them in this critically important area.

Dr Amanda Thomas, Child Protection Officer at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, welcomed the guidance:

This guidance is timely, easy to read and navigate and provides a valuable framework for doctors, giving them the tools to act on their concerns. We’re pleased to see that it addresses all doctors – because whether they have a specific safeguarding role or not, every doctor has a responsibility to protect children. What's crucial now is that the guidance is embedded in practice and the partnership working it promotes across the healthcare profession becomes a reality.

The guidance comes into effect on the 3 September 2012 and can be accessed here.