Consent to treatment by minors attending accident and emergency departments: guidelines

The absolute right to refuse medical treatment, even if the reasons are irrational, is confined to competent adults. Children under 16 years can give legal consent to treatment in the absence of consent from those with parental responsibility. Children under 18 years do not, however, have an absolut...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Emergency medicine journal : EMJ 1997-09, Vol.14 (5), p.286-289
Main Authors: Williams, L, Harris, A, Thompson, M, Brayshaw, A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Algorithms
Bioethics
Child
Child Advocacy - legislation & jurisprudence
Decision Trees
Emergencies
Emergency Service, Hospital - legislation & jurisprudence
Emergency Service, Hospital - standards
Guidelines as Topic
Humans
Informed Consent - legislation & jurisprudence
Judicial Role
Mental Competency - legislation & jurisprudence
Minors
Organizational Policy
Parental Consent
Parents
United Kingdom
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Description
Summary:The absolute right to refuse medical treatment, even if the reasons are irrational, is confined to competent adults. Children under 16 years can give legal consent to treatment in the absence of consent from those with parental responsibility. Children under 18 years do not, however, have an absolute right to consent, or refuse to consent, to treatment. The views of children assume increasing importance with age and maturity. Accident and emergency medical and nursing staff may face difficult decisions when children, or those with parental responsibility, refuse to consent to medical treatment. This paper presents guidelines designed to guide the decision making process in immediately or potentially life threatening conditions and in non-life-threatening conditions.
ISSN:1351-0622
1472-0205
1472-0213
DOI:10.1136/emj.14.5.286