Consent Guidance for Parents

The law in Scotland states that all children aged 12 and over are deemed to have capacity to give consent to accessing their medical records, unless there is a medical reason that they do not have capacity or it is deemed to be in the best interests of the child (such as delivering bad news around their health). By law they are entitled to make the decision as to who can access their records and what information is provided.

The GP / other clinicians are also entitled to speak to a child of this age on their own to ensure there is no pressure from either patient (however, they can have a medical member of staff as a chaperone). We cannot discuss any clinical information with parents of children aged 12 or over without their consent. Please therefore note that for parents phoning up to discuss their child’s medication or medical record we will require consent from your child to be able to do so.

Consent can be given verbally as a one-off but backed up in writing for any further disclosures. Please use the attached “Consent for 3rd Party Access” form to confirm consent in writing and ensure your child has signed the document. Like all Practices, we follow the guidance of the General Medical Council on such matters.

https://www.gmc-uk.org/professional-standards/the-professional-standards/0-18-years/accessing-medical-records-by-children-young-people-parents

Consent for 3rd Party Access Form – Microsoft Word Download