A 15 year old girl attends the emergency department with mild vaginal bleeding. A pregnancy test is positive. She does not want her parents to know about her pregnancy and she refuses to disclose any information regarding her sexual partner to the healthcare professionals. What is the SINGLE most appropriate management?
A. Assess child’s competency to make decisions
B. Inform her parents
C. Involve social services
D. Inform patient that she is lawfully obliged to provide her partner’s name and age
E. Contact the police
Confidentiality under 16
A young person under 16 has the right to advice and treatment without parental knowledge and consent provided that she is competent and understands all aspects of advice and its implications, and cannot be persuaded to tell her parents or to allow you to tell them
There are only certain circumstances in which you may disclose information that a young person does not agree to disclose. These are:
v