GMC publishes new guidance on child protection

Posted: 19/07/2012

The General Medical Council (GMC) last week issued new guidance to all 230,000 doctors within the UK, clarifying the need to consider child protection concerns in all matters, and to relay these concerns where necessary.

The guidance, entitled Protecting children and young people: the responsibilities of all doctors, aims to build on advice issued in 2006 which emphasised the duty of doctors to ensure the protection of children and other vulnerable people within their care. With this new expansion, that duty now extends to being aware of, and reporting to the relevant authorities, those cases where doctors have a concern for child welfare even if the child is not the primary patient.

The latest instructions come following a two-year consultation of a working group chaired by the Rt Hon Lord Justice Thorpe, established to consider guidance for paediatricians in cases of suspected child abuse. The review was considered necessary following several high profile cases in which the actions of doctors had been called into question. These included the death of Peter Connelly (Baby P). Peter’s GP failed to pass on concerns for Peter’s welfare and received a 12 month suspension. Another example was the case of Dr David Southall who was re-instated by the Court of Appeal, following unfounded complaints claiming that he had accused a mother of murdering her child.

Following such cases it had become clear that many doctors were avoiding child protection matters for fear of being called in front of the regulator and suffering a similar fate. The new guidance aims to clarify the doctors’ role.

The key points of the new rules focus on: 

• consideration as to whether an adult patient poses a risk to the welfare of a child, even where that child is not themselves a patient; 
• reporting concerns to a relevant authority; including local authority children’s services, the NSPCC or the police (without the consent of the child or their guardian if necessary where in both the public and the child’s interest); 
• recognising that the doctor works within a team of professionals all of whom have a responsibility for the welfare of the child.

It is hoped that this guidance will encourage doctors to engage with child protection issues, and raise their concerns more readily. The chief executive of the GMC, Niall Dickson, confirmed that the regulator would not ‘come after them’, if doctors followed the guidelines, and this is reiterated in paragraph 41 of the guidance:

‘Even if it turns out that the child or young person is not at risk of, or suffering, abuse or neglect, sharing information will be justified as long as your concerns are honestly held and reasonable, you share the information with the appropriate agency, and you only share relevant information.’

However, despite this new guide, scepticism remains, with Dr. Southall saying:

‘Unfortunately, reassurance that vexatious complaints, especially if part of a campaign, will always be rejected was not given in this guidance. Only time will tell whether the GMC will treat doctors fairly in this respect.’

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