Proposed system to detect child abuse could deter parents from seeking treatment, pressure group says
BMJ 2012; 345 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.e8705 (Published 28 December 2012) Cite this as: BMJ 2012;345:e8705- Nigel Hawkes
- 1London
Children who visit emergency departments or have out of hours GP consultations are to have their details logged on a national computer system in a bid to detect child abuse.
Dan Poulter, health minister for England, said he hoped the new system, to be rolled out from 2015, would prevent cases such as those of Victoria Climbié and Baby P, two children who died as a result of abuse.
Poulter told the Times: “Doctors and nurses are often the first people to see children who are victims of abuse. Up until now, it has been hard for frontline healthcare professionals to know if a child is already listed as being at risk or if children have been repeatedly seen in different emergency …
Log in
Log in using your username and password
Log in through your institution
Subscribe from £173 *
Subscribe and get access to all BMJ articles, and much more.
* For online subscription
Access this article for 1 day for:
£38 / $45 / €42 (excludes VAT)
You can download a PDF version for your personal record.