Recurring concern
Inadequate informed-consent processes for medical treatment
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Request correctionFirst reported 1 Jul 2014•Latest report 28 Dec 2025
What this concern includes
Includes failures of medical-treatment consent processes, including initiation, information about material risks, time for consideration, consistency of procedure, assessment of consent and documentation, where the failure is directly tied to obtaining valid informed consent.
Not included
- Excludes legal-status or detention transfers that do not concern consent to medical treatment.
- Excludes general communication, training, documentation or staffing deficiencies unless they are directly tied to the medical-treatment consent process.
- Excludes clinical assessment or treatment-selection failures that do not concern obtaining or recording informed consent.
- Reports
- 31
- Individual concerns
- 37
- Date range
- 2014–2025
- Stated actions
- 56
Distinct published reports
A report can raise multiple concerns
First to latest report issue date
Described in published responses
Reports over time
Reports over time
Reports about this concern issued each year.
* 2026 is projected from reports observed to 7 Sep 2026.
Most frequent recipients
Most frequent recipients
Reports about this concern sent to each recipient.
Concerns and responses across reports
Only concerns grouped under this recurring concern are included. Select any concern, action or position to view the source wording.
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Concerns raised1
Failure to obtain consent before NTMC
This report raised 5 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.2
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Position
Existing law requires valid consent before non-therapeutic male circumcision, including consent from a person with parental responsibility where applicable.
Stated by Department of Health and Social Care
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Position
Responsibility for the reported issues rests with DHSC, which has provided the comprehensive government response; MHCLG has nothing further to add.
Stated by Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
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Concerns raised1
Failure to document consent discussions about NG tube treatment
This report raised 3 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.5
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Action
Design and implement a generic electronic patient-record form supporting decisions and documentation for care outside clinical guidance.
Stated by Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust -
Action
Provide consent guidance on supported decision-making, informed consent, treatment options, material risks and patient-specific communication.
Stated by Royal College of Surgeons of England -
Action
Consult the GMC on practical consent tools and checklists supporting implementation of the consent guidance.
Stated by Royal College of Surgeons of England
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Action
Publish practical consent tools and checklists alongside the updated consent guidance.
Stated by Royal College of Surgeons of England -
Action
Develop a brief consent e-learning module for local hospital team training.
Stated by Royal College of Surgeons of England
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Concerns raised1
Failure to provide complete information about uterine rupture and its consequences in patient guidance
This report raised 2 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.1
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Action
Revise and provide the Birth After Previous Caesarean leaflet with clear uterine-rupture risks during birth-options counselling.
Stated by Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
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Concerns raised1
Failure to provide complete information on the risks of induction and continuing pregnancy beyond 41 weeks
This report raised 1 other concern. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.3
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Action
Publish an updated induction-of-labour leaflet explaining the risks of continuing pregnancy beyond 41 weeks.
Stated by the Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust -
Action
Implement snap audits and regular audits of antenatal records documenting induction-of-labour discussions.
Stated by the Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust -
Action
Make Birthrights-informed decision-making training mandatory for Consultants, resident doctors and Midwives.
Stated by the Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust
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Concerns raised2
Failure to ensure informed consent about surgical risks and mortality rates
Insufficient time for patients to consider additional surgery before consenting
This report raised 4 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.1
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Action
Consider how to communicate risks to people considering medical treatment abroad.
Stated by Department of Health and Social Care
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Concerns raised1
Lack of a way to obtain consent when a trainee performs a procedure
This report raised 5 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.1
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Action
Reinforce consent guidance requiring families to be informed when clinicians in training may perform procedures.
Stated by Birmingham Women'S and Children'S NHS Foundation Trust
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
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Position
Current consent forms and supervised trainee procedures are considered to work largely effectively, so specifying the individual practitioner is not proposed.
Stated by Department of Health and Social Care
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Concerns raised1
Failure to obtain informed consent before undertaking an enema
This report raised 7 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.3
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Action
Update the Consent to Examination and Treatment policy with guidance on implied consent.
Stated by Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust -
Action
Complete review and approval of an Easy Read consent-information leaflet for patients with Learning Disabilities.
Stated by Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust -
Action
Deliver informed-consent training covering Montgomery law and GMC and NMC requirements.
Stated by Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
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Position
BHRUT is responsible for responding fully to the concerns, so the Department will not duplicate its response.
Stated by Department of Health and Social Care
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Concerns raised2
Failure to provide complete information about treatment options before consent
Failure to obtain treatment consent without pressuring families
This report raised 2 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.4
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Action
Amend the consent policy to require additional consultant input, Best Interests Meetings where applicable, and documentation of operative and conservative-treatment risks.
Stated by University College London Hospital (UCLH -
Action
Record subspecialty agreement to implement the amended consent policy through local governance committees.
Stated by University College London Hospital (UCLH -
Action
Audit implementation of the amended consent policy within six months.
Stated by University College London Hospital (UCLH
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Action
Incorporate the PFD learning into subspecialty Trust induction covering ward-round documentation and the consent policy within three months.
Stated by University College London Hospital (UCLH
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Concerns raised1
Failure to obtain advanced consent before dermatological surgery
This report raised 5 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.1
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Action
Provide advanced consent and schedule procedures to allow appropriate adjustment of anticoagulation.
Stated by Sussex Community Dermatology Service
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Concerns raised1
Failure to include rare complications such as interstitial lung disease in consent discussions for nilotinib
This report raised 3 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.4
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Position
Nilotinib’s interstitial lung disease risk is identified in product information, the BNF and the patient information leaflet.
Stated by NHS England
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Position
The BNF and MHRA are more appropriate bodies to respond to concerns about nilotinib’s side-effect information and medication regulation.
Stated by NHS England -
Position
Clinical practice issues, including prescribing and treatment decisions, are outside the medicines regulator’s remit.
Stated by Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency -
Position
Healthcare professionals are responsible for prescribing nilotinib and obtaining patient consent after discussing individual benefits and risks.
Stated by Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
Data last updated 7 September 2026