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Lessons to be learned from the Health and Disability Commissioner's findings : sexual abuse Jacobs, Phil; Webber, Cathy

By: Contributor(s): Material type: ArticleArticlePublication details: Wellington The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners 2002Description: 1 p. ; computer file : PDF format (58Kb)ISSN:
  • 0110-022X
Subject(s): Online resources: In: New Zealand Family Physician 29(5) October 2002 : 344Summary: This article discusses the educational opportunities presented by the Health and Disability Commissioner's findings in relation to the case of a 7-year-old girl who was sexually abused by a family member, and the resulting lack of compliance on the part of her family general practitioner (GP) with the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers' Rights by not complying with certain professional standards and exposing her to further risk of abuse. A brief examination of the Health and Disability Commissioner's findings and further discussion is provided in the article, as well as key points to be learned from the case. These include: keeping an open mind to the possibility of child abuse; taking and documenting an accurate patient history; looking for signs of abuse and neglect; and referrals to appropriate specialist individuals or agencies for a proper forensic examination. The article also points out that any case of a sexually transmitted disease (STD) in a child must alert the GP to the possibility of sexual abuse, and that referral to the appropriate authorities (Child Youth and Family (CYF) and/or Police) is essential, even if against parental wishes. It makes it clear that investigation and interview of the child is the responsibility of CYF and the Police, that forensic examination should be carried out following CYF referral to Doctors for Sexual Abuse Care (DSAC), that prior treatment of an STD negates this, and that there are no legal barriers to GPs for referral to CYF where it is deemed they have acted in good faith, as the care of the child takes precedence over the care of the family.
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New Zealand Family Physician 29(5) October 2002 : 344

This article discusses the educational opportunities presented by the Health and Disability Commissioner's findings in relation to the case of a 7-year-old girl who was sexually abused by a family member, and the resulting lack of compliance on the part of her family general practitioner (GP) with the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers' Rights by not complying with certain professional standards and exposing her to further risk of abuse. A brief examination of the Health and Disability Commissioner's findings and further discussion is provided in the article, as well as key points to be learned from the case. These include: keeping an open mind to the possibility of child abuse; taking and documenting an accurate patient history; looking for signs of abuse and neglect; and referrals to appropriate specialist individuals or agencies for a proper forensic examination. The article also points out that any case of a sexually transmitted disease (STD) in a child must alert the GP to the possibility of sexual abuse, and that referral to the appropriate authorities (Child Youth and Family (CYF) and/or Police) is essential, even if against parental wishes. It makes it clear that investigation and interview of the child is the responsibility of CYF and the Police, that forensic examination should be carried out following CYF referral to Doctors for Sexual Abuse Care (DSAC), that prior treatment of an STD negates this, and that there are no legal barriers to GPs for referral to CYF where it is deemed they have acted in good faith, as the care of the child takes precedence over the care of the family.

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