Informed Consent Case Study

The aim of this assignment is to identify the legal, ethical and professional issues involved in an episode of care that has been delivered. It is vital to take a look at the importance of inter-professional teamwork and the difference they could bring in the episode of care that you give to a patient. Therefore, members of the multi-disciplinary team (MDT) who are governed by different governing bodies and principles are also involved to recognise the change that could bring to the care that you give to the patient.
This case study happened on a rehab ward in a community hospital. According to NMC (2015) the code of conduct says it is important to keep the identity of a patient confidential at all times by using a pseudonym. Therefore the
According to Dougherty and Lister (2015), all health care professional are supposed to gain informed consent prior to any form of treatment. It is difficult to gain consent from a patient diagnosed with dementia. According to Burton and Ormrod (2011), there are three different types of consent – implied consent which will indicate through the patients’ action that they are ready for the treatment or care. Verbal consent can be obtained when the staff explains about the treatment, why they need the treatment and asking them whether they understand. Written consent is usually obtained before a major procedure like a surgery. In this case, the health care professional will explain the procedure and the possible risks that could happen so that the patient can make a decision before signing the consent form. In this case study, both student nurse and the TV nurse are governed by the NMC whereas the Doctor is governed by different governing body named General Medical Council (GMC). However, they all have to accept and obey the laws set out by the government. According to GMC (2016), if a patient is unable to consent or make decisions, then the doctor must work with those who are close to the patient and other health care team to provide a collaborative
Grace,P (2014) also define autonomy as the individual’s right to decide his/her actions. By gaining Doris’ consent, her autonomy could be retained. However, under the guidance of Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005, the Doctor can decide whether Doris has the capacity to give consent. MCA is an Act of the UK parliament. MCA provides legal protection and support for vulnerable people who are unable to take decisions. It is accompanied by the code of practice to guide health care professionals. According to NMC code of conduct (2015), if a patient lacks the ability to decide his/her treatment, the health care professional can act under the best interest of the patient. According to MCA (2005), when a patient is diagnosed with no mental capacity, the health care staff can deliver the treatment under their best interest. With this in mind, the Doctor considered that Doris is unable to consent which helped the MDT to deliver Doris’ care. It is the responsibility of the MDT to follow the legal frameworks of MCA as it protects the vulnerable adults. Therefore MCA allows the student nurse and the TV nurse to redress Doris’ infected wound without her full consent as she is diagnosed with no mental capacity. According to NMC (2015), the student nurse have certain limitations to recognise their capabilities under code of