We list here some of the policies and guidelines that are published by the British Medical Association, General Medical Council and the Department of Health.

British Medical Association (BMA)

Consent toolkit, 2nd Edition, BMA, February 2003
The Consent Toolkit is available on-line or as a PDF document download. It is intended to act as a prompt to improve the methods of taking valid consent.

• Guidance on seeking informed consent
• Emergency treatment
• Assessment of competence
• Adults who lack capacity
• Children and young people
• Determining best interest
• Advance statements

Report of the consent working party, BMA, March 2001
This report contains guidelines on obtaining valid consent.

General Medical Council (GMC)

Seeking patients' consent: the ethical considerations,GMC, November 1998

• Consent to investigation and treatment
• Presenting information to patients
• Ensuring voluntary decision making
• Emergencies
• Establishing capacity to make decisions
• 'Best interests' principle
• Forms of consent

Department of Health (DoH)

Key documents for clinicians and patients

Seeking consent working with children,DoH, November 2001
This document is available as a PDF file:

• Who can give consent
• Seeking consent?
• Consent to treatment for mental disorder

Seeking consent working with older people, DoH, November 2001
This document is available as a PDF file:

• Seeking consent: people with capacity
• When adults lack capacity
• Withdrawing and withholding life-prolonging treatment

Seeking consent working with people with learning disabilities, DoH, November 2001
This document is available as a PDF file:

• Seeking consent: people with capacity
• When adults lack capacity
• Withdrawing and withholding life-prolonging treatment