Informed consent in healthcare means you will be provided with enough information to understand your treatment options and make the right decisions about your care.
What treatment options are available to you for your condition
What are the expected outcomes for each option
What are the success rates and possible side-effects for each option
Elective surgery can not be carried out without your permission and full understanding of the procedure. If you feel surgery is your best option you are required to give your consent in writing by signing the hospital’s consent form.
It’s is the doctors responsibility to explain things to you in a way you can understand. Questions to ask which may help you understand more include:
What’s wrong with me?
What treatment are you suggesting?
What are the risks of the procedure?
Is there any alternative treatment?
What drugs will be given and what will they do?
Will they have any side effects?
An interpreter will be made available to assist you if you or your doctor request one.
In most cases, if you are under 16, consent from a parent or guardian is required. The exception is 14 to 16-year-olds who may consent to treatment if they are considered mature enough.
If you are unable to give consent in an emergency your doctor will try to get a relative’s consent. Sometimes in emergency situations, surgery may have to go ahead without consent but this is rare.
If someone has a condition that prevents them from making an informed decision, their legal guardian will be asked to consent on their behalf. If there’s no legal guardian, the next of kin, spouse, de facto partner, or carer can be asked to consent. Where there is no one to provide consent the hospital will contact the Guardianship Board on the patient’s behalf. The Guardianship Board will review the treatment options and provide consent for surgery if required.
You have the right to withdraw your consent for surgery at any time.
Your privacy
Personal information is collected by the Eye and Ear so we are able to provide care and treatment. To help protect your privacy we ensure:
Access to the hospital’s record and computer systems is controlled
Staff only have access to the systems their duties require
Paper records are securely stored
Paper records may only be accessed by authorised personnel
Your consent is required for the use of any information contained in the medical record for research, publications, or any other secondary purpose
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