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• Child protection


Deciding when to raise concerns over suspected child abuse can be a diffi cult judgement to make. Dr Susan Gibson-Smith off ers advice and discusses new GMC guidance


It had been a busy morning as duty doc, with three house calls and a full emergency surgery, when a message fl ashed on my screen. ‘Please call Mrs Jones, social worker, asap. She wants to discuss medical


information about Lilly R (21/5/2009), child protection matter.’ I know that information sharing is really important in child protection but what about


confi dentiality? What should I tell this social worker? I decide to ask my trainer before making the call.


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HILD protection is a very diffi cult area of practice that can involve making decisions with far reaching consequences in emotionally charged situations, sometimes against parents’ wishes. One


high-profi le example of this happened in Orkney in 1991 when nine children were removed from their homes following allegations of child abuse. The children denied anything had occurred and medical


examinations produced no evidence of abuse. The charges were eventually dismissed by a judge but the media attention had a huge impact on those involved. In contrast, reviews into the tragic abuse of


Victoria Climbié in 2000 and Baby P in August 2007 concluded that a lack of preventative action and information sharing between organisations were key factors in the failure to prevent the children’s deaths. Knowing when it is appropriate to act can


be a diffi cult judgement call for any healthcare professional to make. It is essential that all patients, including young people, can be confi dent that the information they share with their doctor remains confi dential. But, equally, it is vital that all doctors have the confi dence to act without fear of reprisal if they believe a child or young person may be the victim of abuse or neglect. New GMC guidance Protecting children and young people the responsibilities of all doctors,


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