Part 2
Mr Halliday suggests speaking to George without Kevin present for a few minutes to encourage him to speak more openly. But Kevin is very upset when this is suggested, becoming angry and refuses to leave. Mr Halliday is concerned by Kevin’s response and decides that he should share information about George and Kevin’s situation with other agencies without delay.
However, Mr Halliday is worried that if he communicates his concerns to Kevin, or asks for his consent to share information about George, it may aggravate Kevin further. He is concerned that Kevin could become aggressive, possibly with the effect of increasing the risk of harm to George, or even to Mr Halliday himself.
What should Mr Halliday do next?
- Should he try and address the issue directly by asking Kevin about the situation at home?
- Should he ask for Kevin’s consent to share information with child protection agencies?
- Should he share information with child protection agencies immediately, without seeking consent from Kevin?
In paragraph 32 Protecting children and young people: the responsibilities of all doctors, we say that doctors must tell an appropriate agency, such as their local authority children’s services, the NSPCC or the police, promptly if they are concerned that a child or young person is at risk of, or is suffering, abuse or neglect unless it is not in their best interests to do so.
We also say in paragraph 34 that doctors should ask for consent before sharing confidential information unless there is a compelling reason for not doing so. For example, if asking for consent may increase the risk of harm to the child, young person, or anyone else.