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The changing face of consent: past and present

Hillingdon Hospital Trust, Pield Heath Road, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB8 3NN, UK E-mail: nick.nicholas{at}thh.nhs.uk (corresponding author)

Mohammed El Sayed, MRCOG, Staff Grade Doctor

Hillingdon Hospital Trust, Uxbridge, UK

The law of consent is moving towards a more patient-centred standard of disclosure in order to safeguard the patient's autonomy and right to self-determination. The well-known Bolam principle upon which clinicians rely is now being challenged. This review looks at the law of consent as it currently stands and how it is evolving. All healthcare professionals should take these changes seriously and reconsider the way in which they practise. Sufficient resources — more time, in particular — are needed to train clinicians to communicate more effectively with their patients.

Keywords Bolam principle / capacity / consent / informed consent