Doctors Asked To Respect Rights Of Under 18s - GMC Publishes New Guidance, Wales

Main Category: Pediatrics / Children's Health
Also Included In: Primary Care / General Practice
Article Date: 04 Oct 2007 - 1:00 PDT

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New guidance launched at the Children's Hospital for Wales outlines doctors' roles and responsibilities towards children and young people. This is the first time that doctors' specific duties in this area have been defined by the General Medical Council (GMC), the regulator for the UK's 240,000 doctors. The guidance was launched by Gwenda Thomas AM; Craig Lambourne, Youth Mayor of Bridgend County Borough; Michael Keegan from the GMC Standards and Ethics Team as well as pupils from Willow's High School and young patients from the hospital.

Under 18s make up a fifth of Wales' population. These young people need to be protected from harm and rely on others for their well-being. But they are also individuals with rights. It can be challenging for doctors to balance these competing interests (see examples in case study below). 0-18 years: guidance for all doctors sets out the GMC's expectations and will help doctors make decisions that are ethical, lawful and in the best interests of children and young people.

The guidance states that all doctors have a duty to consider young patients' needs and welfare and always act in their best interests. It covers a wide range of issues including: confidentiality; assessing a young person's ability to make decisions about their treatment; child protection; sexual activity and contraception; access to medical records, and research involving children.

The publication follows a three-month consultation with over 350 responses received from under 18s and nearly 600 from individual doctors, parents, organisations and the public. Young people gave us their views in the written consultation and directly by taking part in workshops around Wales and the UK. The cover of the new booklet is illustrated by a 13 year old winner from Northern Ireland who entered the GMC's UK-wide competition to find a young designer.

The guidance states that doctors must:

- involve children and young people directly in discussions about their care and take their views seriously

- consider factors including the child or parents' cultural or religious beliefs or values when assessing those best interests

- provide clear and appropriate information to children about their condition and treatment

- respect the confidences of children and young people,, being aware that the same duties of confidentiality apply as with adults

Professor Sir Graeme Catto, GMC President said:

"This is the first time the GMC has set standards for doctors specifically about children and young people. Previously our advice has only referred to children and young people where their position is different from that of adults; this document recognises that children are individuals with rights that should be respected.

"Throughout our consultation young people told the GMC that doctors don't always listen to them or take them seriously. We hope our new guidance will remind doctors of their ongoing duty to make an effort to communicate effectively with all their patients, including those who are under 18. The principles outlined in the guidance will provide a useful framework for doctors when they are faced with difficult situations.

Craig Lambourne, Youth Mayor of Bridgend County Borough who was at the launch said"I think these guidelines will be good for young people, especially the one about involving young people in discussions. In the past young people were "talked at" through adults, usually their parents. It's important that young people get their voices heard and I'm glad that the GMC is taking the views of Wales' young people seriously. In Wales we have a slogan your voice your choice!"

The General Medical Council licenses doctors to practise medicine in the UK. Our purpose is summed up in the phrase:

Regulating doctors
Ensuring good medical practice.

The law gives us four main functions:

- keeping up-to-date registers of qualified doctors
- fostering good medical practice
- promoting high standards of medical education
- dealing firmly and fairly with doctors whose fitness to practise is in doubt

http://www.gmc-uk.org.