Introduction

This chapter will explore the element of consent that is probably most familiar to readers: information. The term ‘informed consent’ is commonplace (and sometimes afforded legal meaning that it does not have in the UK). Even if someone is not well-versed in the finer details of consent, it is likely that the vast majority of people understand that for consent to be meaningful there must be some sort of exchange of information. It is rare, in either our professional or personal lives, that we are content to agree blindly to a proposal without first finding out more and perhaps exploring the options in greater detail. It is a natural human instinct to seek information to help in making choices and taking decisions. The questions relating to sharing information have formed a significant part of the common law (or cases) that exist about consent and also the guidance on consent that is published by professional bodies such as the General Medical Council (GMC) and Royal Colleges. An appreciation of the role of information is central both to a sound understanding of the concept of consent and its effective enactment in the clinical environment.

This chapter of the book will explore, in detail and with clinical examples, what it means to seek and obtain consent that is properly informed. The chapter aims to move beyond the somewhat mechanistic notion of ‘information transfer’ to consider why information is considered an important element of meaningful consent, what constitutes information, who might be responsible for sharing information with a patient (or potential patient) and how the requirement that consent should be informed can be best managed in the day-to-day demands of a busy clinical practice.