Doctor suspended for NOT breaching patient confidentiality

[FairMidden]

I've just heard about this story and wondered what you thought.

My gut feeling is that he did the right thing but then I don't have a 13 year old daughter.

It doesn't make a lot of sense to me. I don't understand why he SHOULD tell.

I am glad i am not in a job where I have to make decisions like this - the people who have to are in a very difficult position

as i undestand it, the girl made no complaint of abuse or coercion BUT i don't know what the law states or the Hippocratic oath

difficult to call really

I think because she was underage. Although IIRC when I was at school the message was quite clear that your doctor could not repeat what you told them.

poor chap teaches ethics too

Seems like a bit of a witch-hunt to me

Unless she was being abused, why would he report?

I thought it was settled that they did have to keep it confidential. Otherwise if someone underage asks for contraceptive advice they could call their parents. In the past that stopped young people asking for advice and in this case could have stopped someone getting treatment.

So I think he was right.

I think the doctor did the right thing. As the girl was 13 and she was admitted to hospital then her PARENTS were informed of the STD and could take any necessary action. It seems ridiculoujs to me and a terrbile waste that he has been suspended.

It sounds as if there was a cultural issue at that hospital not to report child protection issues, and presumably the "damning report" was either undertaken because something bad had happened, or raised concerns that something bad might happen. It is pretty much compulsory for doctors to report to SS and/or the police when an under 13 years old is thought to have had sex unless the case has been discussed with child protection experts (and every hospital has several of these). So I would wonder what the age of the child was (ie how close to 12) and whether any discussion had been had with the relevant professionals, or if the doctor had come to the conclusion himself that it was all just fine. It looks from this case that it was reported to the police/SS, just be someone else some time later - maybe the delay really was significant and this child needed help?