Consent Policy

The clinic is committed to ensuring that all patients give informed consent before any treatment, procedure or investigation is undertaken. Consent will be obtained voluntarily, without coercion, and patients will be provided with sufficient information to make informed decisions about their care. Consent for the use of personal data will be managed in line with UK GDPR.

The clinic will:

• Ensure patients are given clear, accurate and relevant information about proposed treatments, including benefits, risks, alternatives and likely outcomes.
• Obtain consent that is voluntary, informed and given by a patient with capacity.
• Respect the rights of children and young people under the Age of Legal Capacity (Scotland) Act 1991.
• Follow the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 where patients lack capacity to consent.
• Document consent clearly in the patient’s records, including when verbal consent is obtained.
• Use written consent forms for invasive procedures, aesthetic treatments and surgical interventions.
• Respect a patient’s right to withdraw consent at any time.
• Ensure consent for data processing and sharing is obtained and managed in line with Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR.

Patients with impaired capacity will be supported in line with Scottish legislation. Where consent cannot be given, decisions will be made in the patient’s best interests, involving relatives or legal proxies where appropriate. Language support and accessible information will be provided where required.

All clinicians are responsible for ensuring valid consent is obtained before treatment. The Clinical Governance Lead will oversee compliance with legislation, maintain consent documentation standards, and monitor training needs.

All staff involved in obtaining consent will receive training in consent law, communication skills, data protection (UK GDPR), and clinic procedures. Training will be refreshed regularly.

This policy will be monitored through record audits, patient feedback and incident reviews. It will be reviewed on 31 January 2027 or sooner if required by changes in legislation or HIS standards.