A 15-year-old girl presents to you asking for contraceptive advice. She does not want her parents to know. How would you manage this consultation?
- Gillick competence: determines whether a child under 16 can consent to their own treatment without parental involvement. Established in Gillick v West Norfolk (1985). Child must demonstrate sufficient intelligence, understanding, and maturity
- Fraser guidelines: specifically apply to contraceptive and sexual health advice. Criteria: child has sufficient maturity; cannot be persuaded to inform parents; is likely to begin or continue sexual activity; physical/mental health likely to suffer without treatment; treatment is in child's best interests
- Under 13: cannot legally consent to sexual activity - ANY sexual activity must trigger a safeguarding referral regardless of Gillick assessment
- Ages 13 - 15: assess for exploitation, coercion, age gap with partner, power imbalance
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How to approach this Paediatrics interview question
This ethics question is common in Paediatrics NHS interviews because it reveals how you think under interview pressure, not just what facts you can recall. Use "A 15-year-old girl presents to you asking for contraceptive advice. She does not want..." as the anchor for a concise answer with a clear opening, a clinical or professional structure, and a reflective close.
What the panel is testing
A strong ethics answer makes the competing duties visible. Name the principle or legal issue, then describe the practical steps you would take in the hospital: gather facts, assess capacity where relevant, seek advice, document, and protect the patient. For paediatrics, include the child, family, safeguarding context, and senior support early. Interviewers want safe clinical reasoning and family-centred communication.
- Identify the ethical tension before jumping to a decision: capacity, consent, confidentiality, best interests, or law.
- Use local policy and senior advice, and be explicit about safeguarding or immediate patient-safety concerns.
- Balance respect for autonomy with professional duties, documentation, and clear communication.
How to structure your answer
For a ethics prompt, aim for a short opening sentence, then two or three evidence-led points, then a final reflection. If you use STAR, keep the result and reflection as strong as the situation. If it is a clinical scenario, say what you would do now, what you would do next, and how you would keep the patient safe while help is coming.
- Open by naming the main issue in the question.
- Give a structured response rather than a memorised script.
- End with escalation, documentation, learning, or follow-up.
Common mistakes to avoid
The weakest answers usually stay too vague, ignore the specific role, or miss the safety issue hidden in the question. Do not use this page to memorise a perfect paragraph. Use it to rehearse the shape of a safe answer, then adapt it to your own experience and the post you are applying for.
- Gillick competence: determines whether a child under 16 can consent to their own treatment without parental involvement. Established in Gillick v West Norfolk (1985). Child must demonstrate sufficient intelligence, understanding, and maturity
- Fraser guidelines: specifically apply to contraceptive and sexual health advice. Criteria: child has sufficient maturity; cannot be persuaded to inform parents; is likely to begin or continue sexual activity; physical/mental health likely to suffer without treatment; treatment is in child's best interests
- Under 13: cannot legally consent to sexual activity - ANY sexual activity must trigger a safeguarding referral regardless of Gillick assessment