The British Medical Association (BMA) has issued new guidance for general practitioners called "Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults - A Toolkit For General Practitioners". The BMA stresses that the guidelines apply to any professional who works in health care settings with vulnerable adults, even though it is primarily aimed at GPs.
The BMA was commissioned by the DoH (Department of Health) in England to produce the new document, because of "a lack of clarity in this increasingly complex area."
According to the new guidance, physicians have an obligation to protect vulnerable adults. It adds that there is now legislation that protects doctors who want to identify abusers, identify health care failures, or report other health professionals.
The guidance, also referred to as the toolkit, points out that protecting a vulnerable adult is different from child protection. A vulnerable adult may include a wide range of patients, from those who are unable to look after themselves at all, to others who may be going through a particularly difficult temporary period of disability or illness which undermines their ability to make decisions.
Vulnerable adults' independence and quality of life must be supported by their doctor. Physicians should make sure, as far as possible, that they involve the vulnerable adult patient in decisions regarding treatment.
In a communiqué today, the BMA provides some examples of when a doctor might be able to help: 1. A patient recovering from a stroke may wish to go for a walk outside the grounds of his/her nursing home. 2. An elderly female patient who is in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, but wishes to live as independently as possible (on her own).
Dr Tony Calland, Chairman of the BMA's Medical Ethics Committee (MEC), said:
"The way doctors deal with these possible situations demonstrates how complex caring for vulnerable adults can be. There is no 'one size fits all' solution and each case needs to be judged individually. This toolkit will help to guide and support doctors in their decision-making.
"Our guidance also helps doctors identify which adults have the capacity to protect and promote their own interests, and which adults may need decisions made on their behalf."
The BMA toolkit covers the following issues:
Safeguarding - what is it?
Identifying which adults might be vulnerable.
The definition of abuse and neglect.
When should issues which are of concern regarding patient safety be reported?
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