Page 93 - Registrar Orientation Manual 2016

Type:
Policy
Document reference:
1969
Manual Classification:
Administration and Clinical
Title:
Informed Consent
Effective date:
30 March 2010
Facilitator sign/date
Tom Watson
Chief Medical Advisor
Process authorised sign/date
Alfredo Bernal
Acting Manager Quality and Risk
Sponsor authorised sign/date
Jan Adams
Chief Operating Officer
Version:
03
Page:
1 of 24
Document expiry date:
01 June 2013
 Waikato DHB, April 2013
1. Purpose and Scope
This policy specifies Waikato District Health Board (DHB) requirements for ensuring compliance with legal standards in obtaining patient informed consent to healthcare treatment or non-treatment.
Waikato DHB recognises that provision of information, as part of the informed consent process, to patients about their healthcare options offers the opportunity to enhance health gain for all patients, including Māori.
This policy applies to all Waikato DHB employees, independent contractors and personnel with access arrangements. All health professionals have an obligation to abide by the legal requirements relating to informed consent.
2. Policy
Waikato DHB shall implement processes that ensure that:
 Competent patients are given sufficient information to enable them to make a voluntary
decision on agreeing to or refusing a treatment or procedure
 Patients who are not competent, have a legally authorised representative who is able to
give informed consent on their behalf. Where there is no authorised person, the process set out in right 7(4) of the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights 1996 (“the Code of Rights”) can be used.
 The provision or refusal of consent to treatment is documented in the clinical file
It is necessary to obtain the patient’s informed consent – either verbal or written - prior to the provision of any Waikato DHB healthcare service, except:
1. for emergency situations where death or permanent disability may result if treatment is
not provided immediately
2. where a legal representative provides consent on the patient’s behalf
3. where the treatment can be provided without consent under Right 7(4) of the Code of
Rights.
4. where there is a court order allowing treatment.
 Informed consent is a process, not a single event. It involves the patient making an informed choice between the healthcare options available, including the option of refusing the service.
 Waikato DHB respects the rights of patients to refuse treatment or to withdraw their consent to treatment.
 Waikato DHB informed consent processes shall respect – and wherever possible meet - the patient’s cultural requirements.
 If you have difficulty in applying any of the principles set out in the policy or concerns about a specific matter, please seek advice from Legal Services.