title: Consent and confusion--who decides?
abstract: Current trends in the NHS promote patient rights including the right to accept or refuse surgery. Valid consent when the patient appears to have fluctuating competence can place theatre nurses in a difficult position. This article explores the legal framework in which the Department of Health consent forms work and looks at the NMC's Code of Professional Conduct for standards of practice.
authors.affiliation: St Mary's Hospital, Paddington.
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kavanagh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D032962:Consent Forms / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007258:Informed Consent / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D016743:Mental Competency / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009871:Operating Room Nursing / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D006113:United Kingdom