What is informed consent?
To give informed consent, you need to be given enough information to make decisions about your health and proposed treatments.
Your doctor must:
- explain your medical condition
- recommended treatment
- other treatment options
- benefits and risks
- possible complications.
If you agree to the treatment, your doctor may ask you to sign a consent form. This gives them legal permission to treat you.
Watch our video about informed consent in healthcare.
Who can give consent
You must be legally capable to give consent.
This means you understand all the information your doctor has given you about your condition and proposed treatment. You must also be able to communicate your decision to your doctor.
If it’s an emergency, a health professional or a family member may need to consent to emergency treatment on your behalf.
If you're over 18
If you’re over 18 you can give consent unless you have a mental illness or disability that affects your legal capacity. If you’re unconscious another person, such as your doctor or family member, will also have to make decisions and give consent on your behalf.
If you're under 18
If you’re under 18, your parent, guardian or carer will usually need to give consent for you. You may be able to give consent yourself if you understand your condition, and everything about the recommended treatment.
Giving consent
You can give informed consent verbally or in writing.
For example, consenting verbally would include your GP recommending a type of medicine and with your agreement, giving you a prescription.
For more complex procedures or treatments, such as surgery, your doctor will ask you to sign a consent form.
What to ask your doctor or surgeon
You can ask your doctor or surgeon anything about the treatment or procedure they’re recommending. If you don’t understand something, you can ask them to explain it again. You can also have a friend, family member or support person with you.
Questions to ask may include:
- do I really need it?
- how long will it take me to recover?
- what is the success rate for the procedure?
- what are the risks and possible complications?
- are there other treatment options?
- what happens if I do nothing?
- does it cost anything?
If you're deaf, hard of hearing or would like to use a language other than English, we have free interpreters who can go to your appointments with you.
Changing your mind
You can change your mind at any time, even if you've signed a consent form or agreed to have tests or treatment.
Information in your language
Read, listen to or watch information in your language about informed consent.
- Arabic - Video and fact sheet [PDF 1344.29 KB]
- Auslan - Video
- Bosnian - Fact sheet [PDF 3955.97 KB]
- Burmese - Fact sheet [PDF 2171.02 KB]
- Chin Hakha - Video and fact sheet [PDF 4005.15 KB]
- Chinese (Simplified) - Fact sheet [PDF 1731.73 KB]
- Croatian - Fact sheet [PDF 3760.31 KB]
- Dari - Fact sheet [PDF 1324.83 KB]
- English - Video and fact sheet [PDF 838.69 KB]
- Farsi - Fact sheet [PDF 1868.03 KB]
- Greek - Fact sheet [PDF 5366.99 KB]
- Hazaragi - Video and fact sheet [PDF 1267.68 KB]
- Hmong - Video and fact sheet [PDF 2832.86 KB]
- Italian - Fact sheet [PDF 3551.72 KB]
- Juba Arabic - Video
- Karen - Video and fact sheet [PDF 3230.58 KB]
- Khmer - Fact sheet [PDF 1516.69 KB]
- Kirundi - Video and fact sheet [PDF 4878.07 KB]
- Korean - Fact sheet [PDF 1083.54 KB]
- Punjabi - Fact sheet [PDF 1372.55 KB]
- Rohingya - Video and fact sheet [PDF 2911.08 KB]
- Russian - Fact sheet [PDF 4258.63 KB]
- Samoan - Fact sheet [PDF 3072.23 KB]
- Serbian - Fact sheet [PDF 2750.76 KB]
- Somali - Video and fact sheet [PDF 3102.35 KB]
- Spanish - Fact sheet [PDF 2968.89 KB]
- Swahili - Fact sheet [PDF 2522.1 KB]
- Tigrinya - Video and fact sheet [PDF 1865.5 KB]
- Vietnamese - Video and fact sheet [PDF 1756.35 KB]