Bill Harvey: The Age of Enlightenment

Is age the best indicator of whether somebody is mature enough to be able to make informed decisions about, for example, medical and clinical interventions?

If a 15-year-old myope wants to wear contact lenses for rugby and attends the practice without a parent or guardian, most of my trainees (English-based) suggest that if the child is Gillick competent, then going ahead with the fit is fine. None have suggested contacting the parent first even if consent should be forthcoming, which would be my first approach. I would certainly consider Gillick if consent was not likely (the parent does not want their child to have lenses due to their own previous experiences) and, as in this case, there was good reason for contact lens correction.