Analyse factors that influence the capacity of an individual to express consent

Consent must always be established by care workers before carrying out actions or activities relating to an individual’s healthcare.

As well as being a legal requirement (e.g. Human Rights Act 1998, Mental Capacity Act 2005 etc.) it also supports person-centred values such as respect, dignity and choice.

For individuals to give informed consent, they must be provided with all the facts they need to make a decision including the benefits and potential risks. They must also have the mental capacity to be able to understand the choices, weigh them up and communicate their decision.

Therefore, some of the factors that can influence the capacity of an individual to express consent include:

• Whether they are able to understand their choices
• Whether they are able to retain the information long enough to make an informed choice
• Whether they are able to weigh up the pros and cons of each option
• Whether they are able to communicate their final decision