Patient Guide to Consent
The Practice adheres to a Consent Policy which means that before you undergo any treatment, investigation or immunisation you must fully understand and consent to it happening.
Before consent you must make sure you completely understand the nature, purpose and risks involved, the doctor or health care provider must ensure you fully understand and have enough information to give "informed consent" which either may be "implied" or "expressed".
Implied Consent
Implied consent will be assumed for many routine physical contacts with patients. Where implied consent is to be assumed by the clinician, in all cases, the following will apply:
- An explanation about what he/she is about to do and why
- The explanation will be sufficient enough for the patient to understand the procedure
- In all cases where the patient is under 18 years of age, a verbal consent will be obtained and briefly entered into the medical record.
- Where there is significant risk to the patient an "expressed consent" will be obtained in all cases.
Expressed Consent
Expressed consent (verbal or written) will be obtained for any procedure which carries a risk that the patient is likely to consider as being substantial. A note will be made in the medical record detailing the discussion about the consent and the risks. A consent form may be used for the patient to express consent.
Consent for Children
Everyone aged 16 or more is presumed to be competent to give consent for themselves, unless the opposite is demonstrated. If a child under the age of 16 has sufficient understanding and intelligence to enable them to understand fully what is proposed then they will be deemed competent to consent for themselves. This is known as Gillick Competence.
Useful Contacts:
Department of Health
Ministerial Correspondence and Public Enquiries Unit
Department of Health
Richmond House
79 Whitehall
London
SW1A 2NS
Tel: 020 7210 4850
www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-ofhealth
British Medical Association
Medical Ethics Department
BMA House
Tavistock Square
London
WC1H 9JP
Tel: 020 7874 7020
www.bma.org.uk/practical-support-at-work/ethics/consent
General Medical Council
3 Hardman Street
Manchester
M3 3AW
Tel: 0161 923 6602
www.gmc-uk.org