Sector‑wide consent principles launched to strengthen patient safety and uphold fitness to practise standards

UK health professional regulators have jointly launched a new set of sector‑wide consent principles designed to improve informed decision‑making, reduce patient harm and reinforce expectations around professional conduct and fitness to practise. The initiative, led by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) in collaboration with the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC), the Nursing and Midwifery Council, the General Pharmaceutical Council and other regulators, responds to long‑standing concerns about failures in consent and their impact on patient safety.

The principles emphasise that consent is not a single event but a continuous, person‑centred process grounded in shared decision‑making. They outline five core expectations: beginning with open, unbiased conversations about treatment options; individualising risks and benefits; ensuring consent is an ongoing dialogue; concluding with clear confirmation of the patient’s decision; and recognising patients as equal partners in their care. Regulators argue that these standards are essential to maintaining public trust and ensuring that professionals practise safely and effectively.

The HCPC has highlighted that failures in informed consent remain a leading cause of patient harm and litigation, with NHS Resolution data showing a significant rise in related claims over the past decade. Christine Elliott, Chair of the HCPC, described consent as “the bedrock of patient safety” and stressed that it must never be reduced to a signature or administrative formality. The principles aim to support a more consistent approach across professions and settings, ensuring that patients receive the information they need to make meaningful choices about their care.

For regulators, the new principles also have a direct bearing on fitness to practise. The HCPC’s fitness to practise framework requires registrants to demonstrate the skills, knowledge, character and judgement necessary to practise safely and effectively. Failures in consent can amount to misconduct, breaches of professional standards or, in some cases, evidence of impaired fitness to practise where a practitioner’s actions place patients at risk or undermine public confidence. The HCPC notes that serious or repeated failures to act in a patient’s best interests, including inadequate consent processes, may trigger regulatory investigation and potential sanctions.

The GOsC has welcomed the principles, noting that they align closely with the Osteopathic Practice Standards, which already require osteopaths to obtain valid consent, communicate clearly and work in partnership with patients. The regulator emphasised that the new cross‑sector approach reinforces the importance of dialogue, patient values and shared decision‑making in safe osteopathic practice.

By establishing a unified set of expectations across multiple regulators, the consent principles aim to reduce variation in practice and strengthen the regulatory system’s ability to respond to concerns. They also support wider NHS ambitions for a more patient‑controlled model of care, as outlined in the 10‑year “Fit for the Future” plan for England.

Disclaimer: The accuracy and information of news stories published on this website is accurate on the date of publishing. We endeavour to update stories if information change. You can contact us with change and update requests. Where possible, we will link to sources. Content on this website is for guidance purposes only. We cannot accept any responsibility or liability whatsoever for any action taken, or not taken. You should seek the appropriate legal advice having regard to your own particular circumstances.