Does a doctor’s attestation have to take a particular form?
Yes. A letter from a doctor is not evidence of date of birth. However, the intention of the Regulations is that the age of the child is given. It could therefore be argued that a doctor could provide expert evidence. For the VRQA to accept an attestation from a doctor, the letter would need to say ‘my assessment of her age is that she is….’ or words to that effect. A piece of paper from a doctor that has the child’s date of birth and a stamp with the doctor’s signature is not appropriate.
