Full Description
This unique exploration examines informed consent as a social construct within surgical practice. Drawing on 30 years of surgical experience, the author traces consent's evolution from informal agreements to formalized processes, analyzing its philosophical foundations and legal history within the NHS. The book addresses growing litigation concerns while questioning why patients readily trust surgeons they've just met. It explores specific challenges to obtaining truly informed consent, including cultural diversity and health literacy barriers. This unprecedented work illuminates how consent has developed into its current form, offering valuable insights for practitioners.
Key Features:
Traces the surgical consent journey from ancient practices to modern protocols, revealing how patient autonomy has transformed medical decision-making over centuries
Offers rare firsthand observations on the paradox of patient trust in surgical settings, informed by three decades of clinical experience and real-world case studies
Examines critical obstacles to meaningful informed consent, including healthcare illiteracy and cross-cultural challenges, with practical approaches for modern healthcare environments
Contents
Chapter I Craft Surgery. From Babylon to London and Salerno. Medieval Craft Surgery. The Royal College of Surgeons of England Chapter 2 Contemporary surgery 1950s to the present. Current litigation and compensation Chapter 3 A Taste of the Legal Side. A brief historical review. Common Law. Slater v Baker and Stapleton Chapter 4 History of and Current Consent Forms (2025). Nuremberg Code. NHS created. GMC and Royal College of Surgeons Guidelines Chapter 5 The legal position of informed consent in practice. Tort Law and other definitions. Bolam, Bolitho, Sidaway, Spencer and Montgomery Chapter 6 Influences on Consent. Information. Shared Decision Making, Healthcare Literacy. Procedure Specific Consent and e-Consent Chapter 7 Surgical Ethics. From Humble Submission to Surgery and on to Autonomy of the Surgical Patient. Social Contract. Social Construct. Bioethics. Principlism. Veatch and O'Neill Chapter 8 Research. The development of Consent Forms. Hospital web page information for patients. A survey of volunteer research participants. Chapter 9 Discussion. Trust and Dissatisfaction. Some conclusions and into the future
