This free online patient care course covers the basics of consent in healthcare settings and the UK laws that govern it.

Every patient has the right to receive information and ask questions before any procedure or treatment. The consent process ensures that healthcare providers outline all the relevant information about the circumstances, tests required and treatment options before the patient decides what to do. Ethical and legal regulations oversee the legal rights of a patient. This course explores the consent mandated for minors or adults, both young and old, who lack decision-making capacity. Clinicians and healthcare providers must adequately understand their roles and responsibilities regarding the correct process of obtaining consent within the boundaries set by the law.

We introduce you to the fundamentals of informed consent and lay out the ethical and legal considerations of obtaining it before performing any medical procedures. We demonstrate how to apply the concept of ‘Gillick competence’, which is used in medical law to determine whether a minor can agree to their own medical treatment without the requirement for parental permission or knowledge. The primary purpose of the consent process is to protect the patient. This course answers questions such as 'can consent given be withdrawn before treatment starts?', 'can patients refuse treatment?' or 'what support is available for people who cannot consent?'. 

The delivery of healthcare is complex. Informed consent is fundamental to safe healthcare practices and lets professionals avoid being implicated in situations with potentially severe legal and health ramifications. We go through the legal responsibilities of healthcare professionals, attorneys and decision-makers as they pertain to the rights of patients. We examine the UK’s Health & Social Care Act 2012, Care Act 2014, Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the role of the Office of the Public Guardian. This course is ideal for healthcare and social care specialists who want a deeper understanding of consent and care provision. Anyone interested in knowing what needs to be considered to obtain valid consent should take this course, which has no entry requirements. Enrol today to fully understand your role in the process of obtaining patient consent.