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Consent for anaesthesia: guidelines from the Association of Anaesthetists
McLeod, Andrew Bogod, David Brooks, James Devlin, Michael Joseph-Williams, Natalie Iqbal, Rehana Montgomery-Allam, Nadine Plaat, Felicity Keene, Alex Ruck Shelton, Cliff
McLeod, Andrew
Bogod, David
Brooks, James
Devlin, Michael
Joseph-Williams, Natalie
Iqbal, Rehana
Montgomery-Allam, Nadine
Plaat, Felicity
Keene, Alex Ruck
Shelton, Cliff
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Guidelines on consent for anaesthesia were first issued by the Association of Anaesthetists in 1999 and last revised in 2017. These new guidelines respond to the changing ethical, legal and clinical landscape in which anaesthetists practice. Since 2017, the Montgomery judgment has changed medical consent practice. The General Medical Council standards on decision-making and consent and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance on shared decision-making also reinforce the need for high standards of patient advice and counselling.
METHOD: A Working Party, comprising representatives from professional societies, clinical and legal experts and public voice representatives, was established. Relevant new law and professional guidance was identified. A consensus process was not followed as the guidelines are based in law rather than academic opinion.
RESULTS: The guidelines include a new section on peri-operative medicine and updated advice on the timing, mode, conduct and content of consent discussions. We emphasise the role of healthcare organisations in enabling good practice. We have aligned this guidance with contemporary advice from key organisations.
DISCUSSION: These guidelines focus on the law in England and Wales, but we also highlight the key differences in law across the devolved nations of the UK and Republic of Ireland. Although UK law and professional guidance have influence in other English-speaking nations, a limitation of these guidelines is that they cannot be strictly applied outside the jurisdiction of the UK and Ireland. A second limitation is that they do not evaluate the resource implications that accompany them, such as clinical time and resources as well as costs of litigation and complaint.
WHAT WE DID: A group of doctors, legal experts, professional organisations and members of the public worked together to update the guidelines about consent for anaesthesia. They reviewed new laws and professional guidance that have been introduced since the previous guidelines were published in 2017.
WHY DID WE DO IT: The rules about medical consent have changed in recent years. Patients are now expected to play a bigger role in decisions about their care and should be given clear information about the benefits, risks and alternatives of treatment. The researchers wanted to make sure that guidance for anaesthetists reflects these changes and helps patients make informed choices.
WHAT WE FOUND: The updated guidelines provide new advice on when and how consent discussions should take place and what information patients should be given. They also highlight the importance of shared decision‐making, where doctors and patients work together to choose the best treatment. The guidelines explain how hospitals and healthcare organisations can support good consent practices. Although the guidance is mainly written for England and Wales, it also explains some important legal differences in other parts of the UK and Ireland. Overall, the guidelines aim to help patients understand their options and make informed decisions about their care.
MIDER Authors
Affiliations
Date
2026-07-20
Type
Article
Subject
Collections
Citation
McLeod A, Bogod D, Brooks J, Devlin M, Joseph-Williams N, Iqbal R, Montgomery-Allam N, Plaat F, Keene AR, Shelton C, Sodhi V, Swart M, Wain E, Wellesley H, Westaway J. Consent for anaesthesia: guidelines from the Association of Anaesthetists. Anaesthesia. 2026 Jul 15. doi: 10.1111/anae.70283