The British Medical Association has issued child protection guidance for doctors dealing with suspected cases of abuse or neglect.

The toolkit calls on hospital doctors who come into contact with at-risk children to enquire about previous hospital admissions and gain access to all relevant notes and records. The guidance says that any child considered at risk must be thoroughly examined within 24 hours of admission to hospital and must not be discharged unless a discussion has taken place with social services.

Dr Tony Calland, chair of the BMA's Medical Ethics Committee, said: "There is always a degree of risk when dealing with child protection issues, at one end there is the danger of leaving a child for too long in a dangerous situation and at the other the risk of removing a child unnecessarily from his or her family. We hope this toolkit will help doctors weigh up the risks and reassure them they are not alone and that support is available to them to help them make these difficult decisions."

The guidance advises doctors to be alert to physical and mental signs of abuse, and says it is essential that doctors listen to the views of children and where possible involve them in the decisions made on their behalf.