Child protection kit for doctors

The British Medical Association (BMA) has published new guidance on child protection to help doctors deal with suspected cases of abuse and neglect.

The difficult issues of child protection that doctors face will be eased with the introduction of a tool kit from the BMA. This will give GPs additional support dealing with these difficult circumstances as they are usually the first health care professional to encounter an abuse case.

Emergency departments and other hospital departments that come into contact with children at risk must also follow the protocol laid out in the BMA Child Protection Tool Kit.

Chairman of the BMA’s Medical Ethics Committee (MEC), Dr Tony Calland, said: “Doctors and their teams work very hard to protect children and we hope this guidance will be of extra support to them. Child protection issues are very difficult and demanding for doctors and no two cases are the same and the needs of children and families vary. What is important for doctors to remember is that if they have concerns about a child or children who may be at risk of abuse or neglect, they need to act immediately – the best interests of the child or children must dictate all their actions.

“There is always a degree of risk when dealing with child protection issues, at one end there is the danger of leaving a child for too long in a dangerous situation and on the other the risk of removing a child unnecessarily from its family. We hope this tool kit will help doctors weigh up the risks and reassure them that they are not alone and that support is available to help them make these difficult decisions.”

The Child Protection Took Kit advises doctors to be aware of both physical and emotional signs of abuse, and to involve children in the decisions being made on their behalf.