Fraser
Guidelines/Gillick competence
Contraceptive
advice for young people
It
is considered good practice for doctors and other health professionals
to follow the criteria outlined by Lord Fraser in 1985 in the House
of Lords' ruling in the case of Victoria Gillick v West Norfolk and
Wisbech Health Authority and Department of Health and Social Security.
These are commonly known as the Fraser Guidelines:
- the
young person understands the health professional's advice;
-
the health professional cannot persuade the young person to inform
his or her parent or allow the doctor to inform the parents that
he or she is seeking contraceptive advice;
-
the young person is very likely to begin or continue having intercourse
with or without contraceptive treatment;
-
unless he or she receives contraceptive advice or treatment, the
young person's physical or mental health or both are likely to suffer;
-
the young person's best interests require the health professional
to give contraceptive advice, treatment or both without parental
consent
There
is a draft Consent Protocol (which takes Fraser/Gillick
into account) and a Confidentiality Policy (Teenagers)
in the Patient & Community Services index of the Members
Library.
If
you are not a Member,
click here
for information about the benefits of membership and how to subscribe.
