Summary
These new guidelines on consent for anaesthesia respond to the changing ethical, legal and clinical landscape in which anaesthetists practice. Since 2017, the Montgomery judgment has changed medical consent practice. The General Medical Council standards on decision-making and consent and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance on shared decision-making also reinforce the need for high standards of patient advice and counselling.
The guidelines include a new section on peri-operative medicine and updated advice on the timing, mode, conduct and content of consent discussions. We emphasise the role of healthcare organisations in enabling good practice. We have aligned this guidance with contemporary advice from key organisations.