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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, have a look at the information about the benefits of membership and how to subscribe -