Consent is the permission granted from one person to another. When the consent is given, the receiving person is able to perform the approved act. In the context of health care, consent is required before a health care professional can make physical contact with a patient or commence a procedure (McILwain, 2011). If the patient is a mentally competent adult, they have a legal right to withhold consent and refuse personal contact, examination and/or treatment …show more content…
As previously stated, if a patient is unable to give consent, consent is assumed. In Queensland children under 18 years are considered to lack adequate consent, therefore a parent of guardian must be consulted before a paramedic can begin treatment. (Dr Livett, Paul, Dr Gershwin, 2013). If the paramedic deems the patient capable of giving consent it must be clear that their decision was voluntarily; that they were not coerced into the decision by a friend, family member or peer. The paramedic is required to inform the patient of the treatment required and an accurate result of what may happen if they refuse, once adequately informed the patient may give or withdraws consent. If consent is not given the healthcare provider must determine if the withdrawal is relevant and their decision covers the treatment to be performed and is not based on an irrelevant factor or paranoia (Curtis, Ramsden, 2015).
Consent is permission required before any health care professional can undergo treatment on a patient. There are three different forms of consent and under certain circumstances consent may be assumed. Paramedics are required to follow guidelines to ensure patient’s decisions are voluntary and well informed guaranteeing the consent is relevant and