7

MCA in clinical decisions for care and treatment

Key Learning points

  • Individuals have the right to choose the care and treatment they receive 
  • Gaining Informed consent to treatment is a fundamental element of safe and legal care and treatment and support should be given by practitioners to individuals in giving Informed consent 
  • The individual’s capacity to give consent should be presumed, unless otherwise proven 
  • Different professions may be involved in the assessment of an individual’s capacity  
  • It is a legal requirement to involve an IMCA to support individuals who lack mental capacity to consent to serious medical treatments and changes to accommodation where the person is “un-befriended”