Laser Lessons - Lesson

Understand the principles of mental capacity in adult care

Table of Contents

‘Consent – the basics - England’ on the Medical Protection website

Respect for patients’ autonomy is expressed in consent law; to impose care or treatment on people without respecting their wishes and right to self-determination is not only unethical, but illegal.

Table of Contents

Click to read ‘Decision making and mental capacity’ from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. The recommendations in this guideline represent the view of NICE, arrived at after careful consideration of the evidence available. When exercising their judgement, professionals and practitioners are expected to take this guideline fully into account, alongside the individual needs, preferences and values of their patients or the people using their service. It is not mandatory to apply the recommendations, and the guideline does not override the responsibility to make decisions appropriate to the circumstances of the individual, in consultation with them and their families and carers or guardian.
This article from the Community Care website looks at ‘Assessing mental capacity’.

Extended Learning