Published online April 2, 2007
PEDIATRICS Vol. 119 No. 4 April 2007, pp. 800-802 (doi:10.1542/peds.2006-1980)
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow E-mail this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My File Cabinet
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Web of Science (9)
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Williams, C.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Williams, C.
Related Collections
Right arrow Office Practice
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Facebook   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati   Add to Twitter  
What's this?

SPECIAL ARTICLE

United Kingdom General Medical Council Fails Child Protection

Catherine Williams, LLB*

Department of Law, Sheffield University, Sheffield, United Kingdom

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.

Key Words: abuse • General Medical Council • testimony • child abuse • sudden unexpected death • SIDS • licensure

Abbreviations: GMC—General Medical Council

Accepted Dec 21, 2006.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Facebook Facebook   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati   Add to Twitter Twitter    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Br J Soc WorkHome page
C. Pritchard and R. Williams
Comparing Possible 'Child-Abuse-Related-Deaths' in England and Wales with the Major Developed Countries 1974-2006: Signs of Progress?
Br. J. Soc. Work, August 10, 2009; (2009) bcp089v1.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Arch. Dis. Child.Home page
R. D Sege and E. G Flaherty
Forty years later: inconsistencies in reporting of child abuse
Arch. Dis. Child., October 1, 2008; 93(10): 822 - 824.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 BMJHome page
D. M Foreman and J. Williams
Medical law and protection of children
BMJ, September 4, 2008; 337(sep04_2): a1380 - a1380.
[Full Text]

Home page
 BMJHome page
J. Bridson
GMC statement does not reflect actions
BMJ, February 2, 2008; 336(7638): 232 - 232.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 JRSMHome page
H. Payne
The jigsaw of child protection
J R Soc Med, February 1, 2008; 101(2): 93 - 94.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 BMJHome page
J. Gornall
Standing up for justice
BMJ, June 2, 2007; 334(7604): 1139 - 1141.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Arch. Dis. Child.Home page
H. Bauchner
Atoms
Arch. Dis. Child., June 1, 2007; 92(6): 471 - 471.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 PediatricsHome page
C. Jenny
The Intimidation of British Pediatricians
Pediatrics, April 1, 2007; 119(4): 797 - 799.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]