Trust Board Febuary 2010 - Sandwell & West Birmingham Hospitals

SWBTB (2/10) 037 (a)
The consultant, or group of consultants in a specialty, must identify which specific
treatments/procedures they will be allowing delegated consent for. This list should be agreed with
the Clinical Director who should ensure that a record is kept of this list for that specialty and provide
a copy to the Education Centres and to Clinical Effectiveness.
The Consultant(s) delegating consent must ensure that the health professional:
• has sufficient knowledge of the investigation or procedure and has an understanding of the
risks involved
• is able to provide the information needed or requested by the patient in connection with
their condition, its treatment and prognosis, including any future effects on the patient's
lifestyle
• knows about the alternatives to the proposed treatment, frequency and severity of adverse
effects and the effectiveness of the alternatives compared to the proposed treatment.
• is able to communicate satisfactorily with patients and understands the need to use
professional interpreters rather than family members for translation whenever feasible.
• is able to answer the patient's concerns so that they are able to understand what is proposed
and what they are being asked to consent to
The taking of consent should not be delegated for patients who
• lack capacity
• are undergoing novel procedures
• are undergoing high-risk surgery, either because of their co-existing medical conditions or
because the operation is inherently high-risk.
The patient should be given printed information relevant to their procedure in line with the Patient
Information Policy.
15.1 Identifying professionals who need delegated consent training
Medical Trainees
All medical trainees are required to complete a Basic Skills Competency Form with their Educational
Supervisor on arrival at the Trust or on rotation into a new post. This includes questions which will
establish the procedures for which the trainee may take delegated consent at this Trust and their
training status for each. The completed forms are returned to the Education Centres within 1 month
and responses entered on the competency database. Forms which are not received within 1 month
will be followed up by email by the Education Centres. If the form is not received within a week of
follow up this will be escalated to the Head of Medical Staffing, with a copy to the College Tutor. If
the Head of Medical Staffing is unable to obtain a response this will be escalated to the Clinical Tutor.
If the completed form identifies a training need the medical trainee’s Educational Supervisor is
responsible for ensuring training is provided prior to delegated consent being taken by the trainee.
The training should allow the medical trainee to
• understand the legal implications of taking consent
• have sufficient knowledge of risks, benefits and alternatives for the procedures for which
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