ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses how consent is defined, and how the principles of seeking consent be put into practice in the future? It examines what improvements are required in the consent process in the National Health Service to ensure that doctors are on the right side of the law? The penalty is high for practitioners found to act outside the law, as this will involve a 'summary conviction to a fine or imprisonment for not exceeding three years, or to a fine or to both'. However, the law only applies to the deceased person and the way his/her body be used after death. The legal system has a key role in determining the correct nomenclature, as it is worth noting that at present the term 'informed consent' is not recognised by English law. In order for consent to be valid, the patient must have the minimum amount of information to understand both the object of the consent and the risks involved.
