Pediatrics Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Pediatrics, including details on child development, perinatal medicine, child health care.

United Kingdom General Medical Council fails child protection.

Williams C

Department of Law, Sheffield University, Crookesmoor Building, Conduit Road, Sheffield S10 1FL, United Kingdom. c.williams@sheffield.ac.uk

To protect children, pediatricians must be willing to raise the possibility of abuse and not be intimidated by the consequences. We consider that the United Kingdom General Medical Council does not understand child protection matters and has no system for dealing adequately with complaints submitted by parents who claim false allegations of abuse. The actions of the General Medical Council in the recent cases of Drs Roy Meadow and David Southall conflict with current child protection laws and guidance for professionals. By deterring doctors from raising concerns about a child's safety and giving opinions on child deaths, the General Medical Council may be increasing the risk of serious child abuse. Although the rate of registrations by child protection authorities decreased by 28% between 1995 and 2005 (ie, there are fewer multiagency child protection plans), the number of criminal convictions for cruelty to or neglect of a child increased by 247% between 1998 and 2005. It is unacceptable that to date the General Medical Council has refused training in child protection offered by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.

Published 3 April 2007 in Pediatrics, 119(4): 800-2.
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