Consent Policy

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 will be given to the patient what he / she is about to do, and why.
• The explanation will be sufficient for the patient to understand the procedure.
• In all cases where the patient is under 18 years of age a verbal confirmation of consent will be obtained and briefly entered into the medical record.
• Where there is a significant risk to the patient an “Expressed Consent” will be obtained in all cases (see below).

Expressed Consent

Expressed consent (written or verbal) 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 (see below).

Written Consent

Written consent should be sought if:

• there may be significant consequences for the patient’s employment, or social or personal life
• providing clinical care is not the primary purpose of the investigation or treatment
• the treatment is part of a research programme or is an innovative treatment designed specifically for their benefit.

Consent for children and other patients who lack capacity to provide informed consent.

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 him/her to understand fully what is proposed” (known as Gillick Competence), then he/she will be competent to give consent for him/herself. Young people aged 16 and 17, and legally ‘competent’ younger children, may therefore sign a Consent Form for themselves, but may like a parent to countersign as well.

For children under 16 (except for those who have Gillick Competence as noted above) , someone with parental responsibility should give consent on the child’s behalf by signing accordingly on the Consent Form.