Consent: Maternity

Summary

This area of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists website provides guidance for healthcare professionals on obtaining consent from women within obstetrics and gynaecology services. It provides easy access to all procedure-specific consent documentation and gives advice on how best to support women’s decision-making about their care.

Content

The 2015 Montgomery ruling created practical implications for how clinicians obtain consent and support patients to make decisions about their healthcare. 

The implication of the Montgomery ruling is that healthcare professionals must:

• clearly outline the recommended management strategies and procedures to their patient, including the risks and implications of potential treatment options
• discuss any alternative treatments
• discuss the consequences of not performing any treatment or intervention
• ensure patients have access to high-quality information to aid their decision-making
• give patients adequate time to reflect before making a decision
• check patients have fully understood their options and the implications
• document the above process in the patient’s record.