Medico-legal issues for intensivists caring for children in a District General Hospital.

Anaesthetists and intensivists are often called upon to assist with the care of acutely unwell children presenting to district general hospitals. Treatment is usually provided with the consent of a parent but it may be required to treat the child using the doctrine of necessity. In this article we discuss aspects of the law, as it relates to children, to enable teams, who predominately treat sick adults, understand the legal framework surrounding the treatment of sick children.