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Consent Policy
Where possible, a clinician must be satisfied that a patient understands and consents to a proposed treatment, immunisation or investigation. This will include the nature, purpose, and risks of the procedure, if necessary by the use of drawings, interpreters, videos or other means to ensure that the patient understands and has enough information to give ‘Informed Consent’. The Practice will allow sufficient time for the patient to consider whether to give consent and if required consult others, or ask for a second opinion.
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:
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).
Obtaining Consent
Other aspects which may be explained by the clinician include:
Immunisations
Informed consent must be obtained prior to giving an immunisation. There is no legal requirement for consent to immunisation to be in writing and a signature on a consent form is not conclusive proof that consent has been given, but serves to record the decision and discussions that have taken place with the patient, or the person giving consent on a child’s behalf.
People with Parental Responsibility for Consent
There are only certain persons who are legally permitted to give consent for a child (for example for vaccination) This consent can be written or verbal. These people are;
NB A child’s father who is not married to the mother at the time of birth or conception and who has not married her subsequently can not in law give legally binding consent for the child unless he has obtained a parental responsibility order via the court system (or unless his name is on the birth certificate from 1/12/2003) If a person who can give legally binding consent is unable to accompany a child to an appointment they may write a letter giving consent for the named procedure/immunisation for the child and send this, signed, with the child and carer to the appointment.