The Importance of Informed Consent and Its Implementation in Speech and Language Therapy

Obtaining consent is key within the NHS, for all types of procedures. This allows patients and clients the opportunity to accept or decline a type of treatment based on the explanation they are given by a clinician (NHS, 2019). This essay will explore in detail what consent is, how informed consent differs from consent and how it is applied in Speech and Language Therapy.

Consent is when a person voluntarily agrees to a proposal of someone else. In healthcare, the proposal would come from the clinician. This event is something that must be followed by all healthcare professionals following the NHS guidelines and the Health and Care Professions Council standards. To correctly obtain consent, service users must be made aware of what a certain treatment or procedure includes. This should be explained by a clinician so that the service user can decide based on all the facts given. This is classed as informed consent. As part of obtaining consent, the patient’s capacity must be assessed, as determined by principles in the Mental Health Act (2005). Clinicians must also provide the service user with both the benefits and the risks of the procedure or treatment, informing them of any alternatives. In addition, to fully attain consent, the service user must accept or agree voluntarily. This means that they should not be pressured by anyone to accept or decline the proposed treatment or procedure. Moreover, whenever informing service users on a certain procedure, clinicians must always ensure that they give them the right to withdraw in order to fully obtain informed consent (NHS, 2019). This consent can be obtained verbally, or in writing. There may be instances in certain healthcare practices in which the patient or client may comply showing the consent by for example, rolling up their sleeves allowing you to draw blood. Consent is also important regarding the distribution of information. For clinicians and practitioners to share patient information, the patient must first consent to this. For example, healthcare professionals may have to make referrals to each other, which involves disclosing patient information.

Obtaining informed consent can sometimes be a conflict of interest. At times, researchers, or clinicians want to see a clear cause and effect relationship between two variables. Yet, in order to fully obtain informed consent, participants must be aware of all aspects of a certain procedure. Doing so may result in demand characteristics. This is when participants believe they have figured out the aim of something and thus, change their behaviour to match their belief. However, there are exceptions when it comes to obtaining consent. For example, should a client lack the capacity of giving consent, clinicians can act in the best interests of the client. In addition, if there is belief that informing the client could cause harm, legally information should be withheld. Notwithstanding, failing to obtain this informed consent could lead to serious consequences for the professional.

Speech and Language therapists, like all healthcare professionals, strive to follow and uphold all the guidelines provided for them. Speech and Language therapists work and assist a large variety of people, with many different abilities. When working with people with certain disabilities or circumstances, extra care must be taken in order to support them (Department of Health, 2003). Many of these service users are vulnerable in society and as healthcare practitioners, it is our duty to treat these individuals with the care they deserve. Part of that care is prioritising their satisfaction by ensuring consent is given at every step of the process.

Another point worth noting is that Speech and Language therapists often work closely with infants, children and adolescents. Consent for children under the age of 16 may need to be obtained by their parents or carers, either verbally or written. As Speech and Language therapists are “allied health professionals”, it is important for them to work with parents and carers, as well as the rest of the family or other people in the client’s daily life. It is important for Speech and Language therapists to be in constant contact with parents or carers whilst carrying out a procedure or planning to start a novel activity with a child. Yet, given that this consent would be obtained from the parent or carer and not the client themselves, this may mean that certain procedures or activities will continue even though the child may feel a certain level of discomfort. This would have to be explained to the parent or carer in order to fully obtain informed consent and to avoid any confusion or future disputes. There are instances in which children under the age of 16 can consent to treatment or procedures. If they are believed to have an adequate level of intelligence, competence and general understanding of what their treatment entails, they can give consent. This is called being Gillick competent (NHS, 2019). This is especially important for Speech and Language therapists as they work with children of all ages, particularly in both primary and secondary schools. At times, it may be important to obtain consent from the child they’ll be working with, allowing the therapy to run competently.

To conclude, consent is a core tenet within all aspects of healthcare. Without it, practitioners cannot show compassionate care or uphold the standards expected of them. Seeing as informed consent can have blurred lines at time, it is important for healthcare practitioners to continually ensure that they have consent in every step of the way. In doing so, it allows them to be certain that they have obtained informed consent and can allow them to uphold other guidelines such as confidentiality. Even in situations in which the client or patient is incapable of giving consent for themselves, practitioners should always act with caution and follow standard protocol.