This guidance provides a framework to help doctors to make decisions with their patient about their treatment and care. By following it, it will help doctors make sure they have informed consent from their patients. And that they involve families and others when it’s appropriate. It has advice on: what to tell a patient when talking about risks; what to do if a patient doesn’t want to hear information that may be relevant; when to obtain written consent; what needs to be recorded. The guidance will also help doctors when their patients lack capacity (Part 3). It includes a list of things they should consider and has advice on dealing with disagreements.

This interactive tool will help health professionals decide what to do when in doubt about their patient’s capacity to make decisions about their care. The advice is based on the principles in BMA guidance ‘Consent: patients and doctors making decisions together’ and ‘Treatment and care towards the end of life: good practice in decision-making’.