Assessing children's competence to consent to treatment.

Although district nurses provide care and treatment to adults, they also have children on their caseloads from time-to-time. Obtaining consent for the examination and treatment of children is a complex process, where parental responsibility and the developmental concept of Gillick competence become increasingly intertwined as the child matures to adulthood. In this article, the authors consider the requirements for Gillick competence, and highlight the factors district nurses must consider when determining whether a child is competent to give consent to treatment.