Do GPs need mandatory training to identify child abuse?
Professor Kelsey Hegarty says yes, in the wake of a coroner's inquest into the tragic death of a five-year-old girl
It is without question one of the most vexed and confronting aspects of general practice — identifying and reporting suspected child abuse.
Melbourne GP Professor Kelsey Hegarty says training is needed and it should be made mandatory.
She quotes a figure — between 2-4% of reports of suspected child abuse come from GPs and hospital doctors [1].
Yet she says at any one time an estimated 5-18% of children are experiencing some form of abuse.
