Serratia Marcescens in a Special Baby Unit (original) (raw)

It would be comforting to think that a simple answer could be found to the difficult problem of informed consent in medical practice. Dr Brewin (Oct. 23, p. 919) and Mr Bywater (Nov. 6, p. 1051) appear to have found it-the doctor should inform only those patients who ask for information. It would be a grave error, however, to regard this as an acceptable approach to the problem. As the British Medical Association's Handbook on Medical Ethics states (para 1.9): "The onus is always on the doctor carrying out the procedure to see that an adequate explanation is given." Were it otherwise, informed consent would become the luxury of those patients sufficiently articulate, self-confident, and foresighted to ask questions of their doctor. To say that "those who don't ask, don't want" is surely a complete non-sequitur in the context of the consulting room.