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Scenario 1

What do I do if the parents are still not convinced despite me offering LA/Sedation/GA? Am I right if I go ahead and suture the wound without the patient's/his parent's consent as I have the 'duty of care'?? Will I be liable to charges of 'battery' if I did?? What rights do the parent's have over their children in such situations to give consent? Has the child got 'Capacity' to get a valid consent? If not, at what age would you even start considering 'capacity' for a child? what does the law of the land say??

Scenario 2

Agreed that the patient may not be in an ideal state of mind. Though ideally you would want to involve her parents, does it not amount to breach of 'confidentiality'? At 16 years of age is she competent (has capacity) to make the decision of not informing her parents and go ahead with an emergency laparotomy?

Any ideas....