Essential Guide to Consent

01 March 2011

Other areas of consent

Patient consent is not restricted to investigation and treatment. Other areas of consent include:

• Consent to screening: healthy individuals considering consent for screening for selected diseases should be properly informed as to the purpose, likelihood of findings (including potential for false positives and negatives), any medical, social or financial implications and follow-up services (e.g. counselling).
• Consent for research: obtaining valid consent for participation in research is crucial and the issues can be complex. It is advised to refer to the GMC guidance or consult other recognised bodies.
• Consent for teaching and training purposes: express patient consent is required for the attendance of students or unqualified trainees during any investigation or treatment.
• Consent for disclosure of confidential information: any information from a patient must be treated confidentially and disclosure requires express patient consent in most cases. See separate MDDUS guidance on confidentiality for exceptions to patient consent for disclosure.

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