Medical photography in child protection

Dr Tapomay Banerjee, a consultant paediatrician with Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust, provides insights into the implementation and impact of medical photography in child protection work within the Bedford community paediatric team. Dr Banerjee describes the findings of his study which highlights the importance of photographic documentation in child protection examinations, where photographs can convey more information than written descriptions alone. Dr Banerjee details the training received by the team, the audit of 25 children’s photographs, and the positive results regarding image quality, storage security, and the ability of clinicians to accurately identify injuries and body parts. He emphasises the utility of medical photography in peer review and collaboration with social care, while acknowledging ongoing concerns about data protection and acceptability. Dr Banerjee encourages other trusts to adopt similar pathways to enhance child protection practice. This interview took place at the RCPCH conference 2025 in Glasgow, Scotland.