title: After Bristol: the healthcare of young children and the law.
abstract: This paper considers the written statements provided to the Bristol Inquiry by parents whose children underwent cardiac surgery at the Bristol Royal Infirmary between 1984 and 1995, seeking to learn from their experiences, opinions, feelings and expectations. The law regulating the relationship between healthcare professional, parent and child is considered in light of these accounts. The limitations of the existing law are such that a new legal framework is required which fosters the relationship between healthcare professional, parent and child, supporting them in the shared endeavour of caring for the child. Of central importance within this new framework would be recognition of each child as a distinct individual and of the expertise which parents can contribute to the care of their child.
authors.affiliation: University of Sussex, UK.
authors.forename: Jo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bridgeman
mesh_terms: D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000401:mortality / Q000592:standards; D002648:Child; D002651:Child Advocacy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D003657:Decision Making; D006801:Humans; D008318:Malpractice; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D033282:Parental Consent / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D006113:United Kingdom