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Every doctor has a duty to report suspected child abuse or neglect, says GMC

BMJ 2012; 345 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.e4719 (Published 10 July 2012) Cite this as: BMJ 2012;345:e4719
  1. Clare Dyer
  1. 1BMJ

All doctors have a duty to report concerns that a child may be at risk of abuse or neglect, even if their work is with adult patients, says new guidance from the General Medical Council.1

Niall Dickson, the GMC’s chief executive, said that doctors need not worry that the regulator would “come after them” as long as they followed the guidance and took action through the proper channels.

Paediatricians have shunned child protection work after high profile cases in which some have been hauled up before the regulator after complaints by parents. Two paediatricians with an international reputation, Roy Meadow and David Southall, were ordered to be struck off the medical register but eventually had the …

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