Increasing concern about clinical negligence demands the provision of more detailed patient information about the complications and risks of treatment and the agreement of patients to any intervention from a simple physical examination to the most complex surgical procedure. This concise practical guide provides doctors and nurses with the appropriate information needed to ensure that the patients have the knowledge to give informed consent. It identifies ways in which accusations of negligence can be minimised and includes explanations of the new NHS consent procedures that have recently being implemented. All healthcare professionals will find this book valuable reading.

Patrick Hutt, Iona Heath, Roger Neighbour

Introduction. Some characters. Behind every book. A biographical sketch. Medical reasoning. Changing reality. Written words prescribed. Wider than Widgery. Dissecting Widgery. Concluding a radical life.