Patient Experience of Consent for Cancer Surgery in Light of Recent Changes to UK Law- a Questionnaire Study

Audit of Informed Consent of Patients Undergoing Surgery

Since the 2015 Montgomery vs Lanarkshire Health Board ruling, the consent process in the UK has had to change. In practice, this means that doctors must ask themselves whether the patient knows about the material risks of the treatment being proposed, alternatives to the treatment, and whether reasonable care has been taken to ensure the patient actually knows this. This study aims to determine patients' perspectives of consent for major cancer surgery in light of the Lanarkshire ruling.

A patient satisfaction survey was administered to patients who had undergone urological, gynaecological, colorectal, and plastic surgical procedures at a specialised cancer centre where changes to consent processes in light of the Lanarkshire ruling had been implemented.

Inclusion Criteria:

• All patients who have been admitted and undergone surgery within a 6 week period between April - June 2018.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Any patient who could not complete the survey questionnaire i.e. English was not their first language or to unwell to complete.