Information for pediatric patients and parents

Consent to the provision of health services

The consent to the provision of health services to minors is granted by the legal guardian.

Only urgent care can be provided to minors without consent, in the case of treating a serious mental disorder if, as a result of untreated treatment, it is likely to cause serious harm to the patient or health services necessary to save a life or prevent serious injury. In these cases, the attending physician decides to provide medical services.

Health services may also be provided on the basis of a minor's consent, if the performance of such an act is proportionate to his intellectual and free maturity corresponding to his age, unless appropriate, with the consent of the legal guardian.

If medical services are to be provided to a minor who is fourteen years old or not, and who seriously contradict the intervention, even if the legal guardian agrees to the intervention, the procedure cannot be performed without the consent of the court; if the legal guardian does not agree with the violation of the minor's integrity, although the minor wishes to do so, the intervention may be carried out on his / her proposal or at the request of a person close to it only with the consent of the court.

If one of the parents is acting alone in the child's affairs, he / she is deemed to be acting with the consent of the other parent. However, if the parents do not agree on a matter which is of particular importance to the child, in particular with regard to his or her interest, or if one parent has excluded the other parent from deciding on a significant matter, the parent must go to court to decide. Not important medical and similar treatments are considered important. However, if the situation referred to in the second paragraph of this article occurs, the attending physician decides to provide medical services.