'All women aged 18 or over are considered to have capacity to give consent unless there is evidence
to the contrary.
For young women and children under the age of 16, consent can be obtained from a parent or those with parental responsibility. Although parents have the legal right to give consent for treatment, where appropriate it is good practice to involve children and young people as much as possible in decisions about their care, even when they are not able to make decisions on their own.
In some circumstances a young person under the age of 16 may wish to seek medical treatment without her parent’s knowledge. Mature minors may acquire the right to give their consent, provided that they fulfil certain criteria and are deemed to be Gillick or Fraser competent.
Each case must be judged on its own merit and if there is any uncertainty you should seek advice from an experienced colleague or specialist. Although 16- and 17-year-olds and minors under the age of 16 may have the right to consent to treatment, they do not necessarily have the same right to withhold consent. Refusal of treatment may be overridden by parental consent, or the courts, however each case should be considered individually (see section 6).9 It is important to be aware that Scottish law states that those aged 16 and over are able to give consent and also refuse consent provided that they are considered capable of understanding the nature and consequences of the treatment'
For young women and children under the age of 16, consent can be obtained from a parent or those with parental responsibility. Although parents have the legal right to give consent for treatment, where appropriate it is good practice to involve children and young people as much as possible in decisions about their care, even when they are not able to make decisions on their own.
In some circumstances a young person under the age of 16 may wish to seek medical treatment without her parent’s knowledge. Mature minors may acquire the right to give their consent, provided that they fulfil certain criteria and are deemed to be Gillick or Fraser competent.
Each case must be judged on its own merit and if there is any uncertainty you should seek advice from an experienced colleague or specialist. Although 16- and 17-year-olds and minors under the age of 16 may have the right to consent to treatment, they do not necessarily have the same right to withhold consent. Refusal of treatment may be overridden by parental consent, or the courts, however each case should be considered individually (see section 6).9 It is important to be aware that Scottish law states that those aged 16 and over are able to give consent and also refuse consent provided that they are considered capable of understanding the nature and consequences of the treatment'
https://www.rcog.org.uk/globalassets/documents/guidelines/clinical-governance-advice/cga6.pdf
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