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Consent is the process by which you give permission to a health professional to provide your care and treatment.

 

It may be implied (offering your arm for a blood pressure reading) or formal (signing a formal consent form for an operation).

 

In either case your consent must be given voluntarily and you must have all the information you need to make a decision. This includes what the treatment involves, the benefits and risks, the details of any alternative
treatments and what would happen if the treatment does not go ahead.

 

 

Consent is a two way process between you and the health professional. It is a chance for you to ask any questions, and for the health professional to explain what your treatment or procedure will involve.

 

You may give consent to the proposed course of action non-verbally, for example by offering your arm for a blood test. In more complex cases, consent will be recorded on a consent form. The form enables the health
professional to record the different aspects involved in consent and allows you to sign to show you agree. The form alone does not prove consent but it does confirm your joint discussion.

Where a child or young person cannot give consent for themselves, someone with parental responsibility must sign the form on their behalf.

There is a separate form for an adult patient who lacks capacity to give consent.

 

Please ask your health professional for advice and for further information.

 

 

The treatment or procedure: benefits, risks and alternatives

 

Your health professional will explain the procedure or operation to you, in particular the intended benefits of the operation, the risks involved, any available alternatives and the alternative of not having the treatment
or procedure.

 

You may be offered an information leaflet about your treatment. Most of our leaflets are also available on this site

 

> All patient information leaflets

 

Where applicable, we will also give you a copy of the consent form to read in advance of your treatment. If you have not had a copy, please ask us.

 

Important things you need to know

 

Patient choice is an important part of your care. You have the right to change your mind at any time, even after you have given consent, and even if the procedure has started (as long as it is safe and practical to do so).

 

If you are having an anaesthetic, you will have the opportunity to discuss this with the anaesthetist, unless the urgency of your treatment prevents this.

 

We will also only carry out the procedure on your consent form, unless in the opinion of the responsible health professional, a further procedure is needed in order to save your life or prevent serious harm to your health.

However, there may be procedures you do not wish us to carry out and these can be recorded on the consent form.

 

We are unable to guarantee that a particular person will perform the procedure. However, the person undertaking the procedure will have the relevant experience.

 

All information we hold about you is stored under the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998.

 

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