Outrage that unit had no consent from the parents

A SHOCKED Tiverton mother has highlighted how youngsters aged under 16 can be treated at the town’s minor injury unit without a parent’s knowledge after her 13-year-old son’s injured hand was bandaged in her absence last week.

Julie Cashmore from Tiverton says she wants other parents to be aware that there is no obligation on health professionals to make parents or guardians aware that they have treated a child under 16 if the youngster does not want this to be disclosed.

Mrs Cashmore said: “My son who is 13 went to Tiverton Hospital’s minor injury unit on a Wednesday afternoon without me knowing, after he had hurt his hand hitting a punch bag without a glove on.”

Mrs Cashmore said it wasn’t until she picked her son up from his grandparents and saw his hand and arm “all strapped up” that she knew anything had happened.

After asking her son what had happened, Mrs Cashmore said her son had told her he had gone to the hospital after he realised his hand was hurting, not wanting to tell her because she had previously told him to wear gloves when using the punch bag.

She said: “On registering at the minor injury unit, someone did ask him if he wanted them to contact his parents and he said no. They also asked him again when the doctor saw him and again he said no.”

The concerned parent said she had telephoned the hospital to find out why she had not been contacted but was told the hospital was abiding by health service guidelines.

Mrs Cashmore said she was in the process of drafting a letter of complaint to the hospital about the matter.

The Department of Health says, unlike 16 or 17 year olds, children under 16 are not automatically presumed to be legally competent to make decisions about their healthcare. However, the courts have stated that under 16s will be competent to give valid consent to a particular intervention if they have ‘sufficient understanding and intelligence to enable him or her to understand fully what is proposed’ – this is known as the Gillick competence.

Alison Lewis-Smith, head of professional practice for integrated children’s services for NHS Devon, said: “Staff at Tiverton minor injuries unit bandaged the young man’s hand after he arrived at the unit asking for help. Children between the ages of 13 and 16 are assessed for their competency to make a decision about the care they receive before receiving treatment in our MIUs.

“Younger children or those not deemed competent to make a decision about their treatment require parental or guardian agreement. This is undertaken in line with legal guidelines.”

Mrs Cashmore told the