Obtaining informed consent is a fundamental part of every health and care professional’s job and integral to every service user’s treatment experience. But although this process goes to the very heart of clinical practice, it has become something of a legal and clinical minefield in recent years, for practitioners and patients alike.

In this opening episode of AlteaTalks, Will is joined by Vicki Swanton, Head of Healthcare Global Risks at DWF, and widely acknowledged as one of the UK’s leading healthcare lawyers, to unpick the challenges surrounding informed consent and to provide key tips to guide practitioners through this crucial aspect of patient care.

Time Stamps:

- Why consent is important in the medico-legal world (00:03:22)

- An overview of the current legal framework that governs consent (00:06:04)

- Different approaches to tailoring advice, presenting risks and options to patients (00:12:05)

- What questions a healthcare professional should ask their patient to obtain properly informed consent (00:18:52)

- The importance of managing patients' expectations (00:21:21)

- What a healthcare professional can do to best evidence that the consent has been provided (00:28:50)

- Addressing allegations on consent failure (00:35:42)

- The impact of The Mulloch case on consent allegations (00:37:08)

Resources:
- Altea Insurance https://www.alteainsurance.com/
- Follow us on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/altea-insurance/
- DWF Group https://dwfgroup.com/
- Connect with Vicki Swanton https://dwfgroup.com/en/people/v/vicki-swanton

*Disclaimer: The information contained in this podcast is not intended to represent a complete analysis of the topics presented and is provided for information purposes only, for practitioners in the UK. It is not intended as legal advice and no responsibility can be accepted by Altea Insurance or DWF Group for any reliance placed upon it. Independent legal advice should always be obtained before applying any information to particular circumstances.