There are 3 types of consent:
Informed
Expressed
Implied
Consent forms used in UK NHS
| Consent Form 1 | For competent adults who are able to consent for themselves where consciousness may be impaired (e.g. GA) |
|---|---|
| Consent Form 2 | For an adult consenting on behalf of a child where consciousness is impaired |
| Consent Form 3 | For an adult or child where consciousness is not impaired |
| Consent Form 4 | For adults who lack capacity to provide informed consent |
Capacity
Key points include:
Understand and retain information
Patient believes the information to be true
Patient is able to weigh the information to make a decision
All patients must be assumed to have capacity
Consent in minors
Young children and older children who are not Gillick competent cannot consent for themselves. In British law the patient's biological mother can always provide consent. The childs father can consent if the parents are married (and the father is the biological father), or if the father is named on the birth certificate (irrespective of marital status). If parents are not married and the father is not named on the birth certificate then the father cannot consent.