• Replies 3 replies
  • Subscribers 65 subscribers
  • Views 1022 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related
Hints and tips
  • To quote someone's message, first select/highlight the relevant text, and then use the Quote button that appears
  • To "mention" someone, type @ followed by the start of the forum name, and choose from the list; that person will get a notification of being mentioned

Patient Confidentiality - what happens when they are 16?

Two + Two

My son has high functioning autism.  He is currently 15 years old, he was diagnosed after a long fight at 12 years old.

Today I booked a GP appointment to discuss his skin picking activity.  I wanted to discuss the skin picking with the doctor without him being there as I was worried it was self-harming and I don't like talking about him in front of him.  When I checked it was ok for me to make the appointment in his name, the receptionist pointed out that if he was 16 they would be bound by patient confidentiality and I would not be able to attend on his behalf.

In less than 10 months time he will be 16.  He will not be able to independently attend a doctors, hospital, dentist appointment and successfullly discuss any condition he may have.  He will however be bound by the rules of patient confidentiality.  I am looking for help and suggestions to avoid a potential problem in the future.

Thank you

Debbie

Parents

  • Muddled isn't it. It is the same with post-compulsory education. The contract is between the student and the college/university. So parents cannot readily find out if their child is coping because the tutors aren't supposed to say.

    There is supposed to be a way around this, in that the student can sign a consent form alllowing parents to be informed, but you still get situations where teachers have to get the head's, dean's or other figurehead's approval for disclosure even when a consent form has been signed.

Reply

  • Muddled isn't it. It is the same with post-compulsory education. The contract is between the student and the college/university. So parents cannot readily find out if their child is coping because the tutors aren't supposed to say.

    There is supposed to be a way around this, in that the student can sign a consent form alllowing parents to be informed, but you still get situations where teachers have to get the head's, dean's or other figurehead's approval for disclosure even when a consent form has been signed.

Children
No Data