Patient Consent

There is an obligation for practitioners to obtain valid consent from their patients before examination, routine personal care or therapeutic treatment. However, the law relating to consent is complex. Situations may arise where a patient requires urgent treatment, yet is either unwilling or unable to give their consent, or there are concerns over the form and context of the consent.

All you need to know on:

• the underlying principles of consent;
• consent and the adult patient;
• consent and the adult who lacks capacity;
• children and consent;
• young people and consent.