In order to provide valid consent, the patient must do all four of the following:
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Children 16-18 years old
Children 16-18 years old are presumed to have capacity and generally treated like adults with regard to consent. However, unlike adults, treatment refusal can be overridden in some circumstances (by person with parental responsibility or court).
Gillick competence for children under 16 years old
Children under 16 years old can consent to medical treatment (but not necessarily refuse treatment) ‘if they have sufficient maturity and judgement to enable them to fully understand what is proposed’ – i.e. they are ‘Gillick competent’
Fraser guidelines for prescription of contraceptives
A doctor can prescribe contraception to children under 16 years old if:
NB: bear in mind the age of the partner and risk of sexual abuse.
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