Consent to medical treatment for health professionals

Health professionals must obtain valid consent before providing medical treatment or health care, except in limited circumstances such as emergencies. When a patient lacks decision-making capacity and does not have a Substitute Decision Maker under an Advance Care Directive, consent may be provided by a Person Responsible—someone close to the patient who meets the legal criteria.

Resources are available to assist health professionals:

Policy and guidelines

Fact sheets and supporting tools

Disputes

If a health care consent dispute cannot be resolved locally, staff can contact the Office of the Public Advocate’s Dispute Resolution Service. This service is available 24/7 for emergency situations only.

Education and training

For education and training resources see the education and training page.