Consent consensus: time for national standard consent forms as an aid to robust consent

Abstract

Informed consent in the medical context is defined in the Oxford Dictionary as "permission from a patient for a medical professional to carry out treatment, with complete understanding of the possible risks and consequences." In both medicine and surgery, clinicians take consent regularly for routine and emergency treatments and procedures. Ethically, we must take consent to respect patient autonomy. Legally, performing a procedure without consent is a criminal offence and the physician can be charged with battery.