A confidential letter leaked to Children Now reveals the British Medical Association (BMA) wants the London Child Protection Committee to scrap its draft protocol requiring all cases of sexually active young people under 13 to be detailed to police.
The letter, sent to the committee by BMA director for professional activities Vivienne Nathanson, says that doctors have serious concerns about the guidance.
It continues: "We believe mandatory reporting will not prevent sexual activity among young people but is likely to deter them from seeking medical advice and will inevitably hinder the formation of trusting relationships between patients and professionals."
The letter concludes: "We urge you to withdraw the protocol, which contradicts existing guidance and will cause confusion."
This intervention follows similar opposition from sexual health and children's rights campaigners (Children Now, 25-31 May) and comes after Sir Michael Bichard described the protocol as "heavy handed". It puts unprecedented pressure on the London Child Protection Committee to withdraw or amend the protocol, which is an interim arrangement until the Government responds to the Bichard inquiry into the Soham murders.
Anne Weyman, chief executive of fpa, said: "There is clearly a serious issue here if doctors and nurses are saying that the protocol does not accord with their professional code. Hopefully, the London Child Protection Committee will now reconsider its position."
But Helen Miller, director of social services at Croydon Council and a member of the nine-strong committee, stuck by the new arrangements. She said: "It is a sensible approach to protecting vulnerable children and young people. There are some police forces who would like to see it go a lot further."
She added that she was "very surprised at the tone of the letter" from the BMA. She pledged that the committee would discuss it in its next meeting but said the guidance was unlikely to be altered "in any dramatic way".
