Published 6 January 2009, doi:10.1136/bmj.a3139
Cite this as: BMJ 2009;338:a3139

Letters

Reporting stab wounds

Duty in reporting stab wounds

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Doctors should already be telling the police whenever a person arrives at hospital with a wound inflicted in a violent attack with a knife, blade, or other sharp instrument.¹ This duty was contained in interim joint guidance from the General Medical Council and the Department of Health in August 2008.

The police should not be informed if the injury to the patient is accidental or a result of self harm. Identifying details, such as the patient’s name and address, should not usually be disclosed at the stage of initial contact with the police. The care of the patient must remain the doctor’s first concern, so the police should not be allowed access to the patient if that would hamper or delay treatment or compromise the patient’s recovery.

If the patient refuses police assistance or to consent to disclosure, identifiable information may be shared with the police if there are grounds . . . [Full text of this article]

¹ General Medical Council, London NW1 3JN

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