Patient consent

The general position in law is that there is an obligation for practitioners to obtain valid consent from their patients before touching them as part of an 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. Concerns may also arise over the form and context of the consent.

With reference both to decided case law and work based scenarios, this guide provides a succinct and accessible guide to consent for all health and social care practitioners. This is an accessible but informative reference to the concept of consent to treatment. It provides an introduction to the legal basis of consent and explores the issue of valid consent. This book considers issues within the context of illustrative practical examples, and decided case law.